Found languishing in a box

While sorting through my various boxes of WIPs looking for a new project for embroidery class, I came across this old cross stitch. I remember working on it while living in the Far East, we left in 2004 so it's at least 13 years since I last stitched on it.

The design is 'Mermaid of the Pearls' this is the photo of the finished cross-stitch

as much as I love the colours and all the beading, I no longer have any interest in cross-stitch and knew I would not finish it. I took it to class and with the help of my embroidery teacher, I will finish it with freestyle embroidery stitches.  The original threads etc have been purloined for other projects in the meantime(!) so I have gone through my boxes of threads and come up with a slightly different colour palette

I plan to stitch the main part of the body/tail in laid work which is great for covering large areas quickly, the first step is to lay down the foundation colour, in long straight stitches

I will then lay pairs of contrasting holding stitches, and finally cross stitches to hold it all in place

I am not sure if the crosses are too dark, I will wait until I have finished the rest of the laid work before I decide. I have started filling in the right side of the tail in long and short, as I want the laidwork to overlap slightly.

It feels good to have a plan for this old WIP, I am excited to be working on it again.