April New Moon Tusal and a Challenge Finish

There she is - my little jar of orts is getting quite filed up, and I actually lost a bit because I failed to bring along my little tin to hold my thread snippets while I was away this past week and a half.

Fluffed up, this jar looks full - I tamped it down pretty solidly for the picture.

Today's New Moon is in Aries - a brand new lunar cycle starts now, and I don't know about you, but I feel chock full of ideas and inspirations.  It doesn't hurt that, in spite of some April Fool's Day snow (!!), today its sunshiny and temperate enough that I'm strongly considering telling everyone to throw on a sweater and socks so I can open up the doors and windows and let some fresh spring air in.

Underneath the TUSAL jar is a finish - one of my Challenge projects, this is the Mystery Sampler from The Gift of Stitching, July - Aug 2006.  The variagated red and blue really pop on the oatmeal Aida 14ct.  I'm not sure what I want to do with this - the elongated shape means a bit of a challenge putting it into a frame, and I'm inclined to think it would serve better as a small wall hanging instead.  On the other hand, I keep seeing it padded as a cover for a long thin photo album or... as here, a little runner for a dresser, maybe?  Perhaps a pillow?

That much indecision means I'm not going to finish it at all for right now, but wait to see what space it wants to fill later.

Meanwhile, I've bagged my new pink and purple blackwork commission as a replacement new start, and will begin work on that sometime later this week.