M - Disney Alphabet Cross Stitch

There has been a lot of mentions of "M" throughout my posts of my CloudsFactory chart so far and it's almost time to find out why. I'm not going to make this one a wind up, she deserves her acknowledgement from the get go. I've said that Sleeping Beauty is my favorite movie, Aurora is my favorite Princess, so it makes perfect sense that my favorite villain is Maleficent. There are so many reasons why I love her as a character, but none more so than the fact that she was designed by my beloved Marc Davis, Disney animator extraordinaire. He was the biggest art influence on me as a kid and the reason why I wanted to be an artist in the first place (even if I never got there...I may not have drawn in 20 years, but I was born an artist and will die one...it is how I will always see myself).

I mentioned on Lady Tremaine that there were similarities between her and Maleficent. Not only were they both designed by Marc, but they were both voiced (and modeled after) Eleanor Audley (who, for Disney World alums, we know as the voice of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion - although not the face, that was the face of Leota Toombs, another great Disney Imagineer, but I digress). The mannerisms between Lady Tremaine and Maleficent are remarkably similar, but the two characters couldn't be more opposite.

I have to admit, I am terrified with what Angelina Jolie is going to do to the character (because I really don't like her), but I will be there on opening weekend to see it anyway. And as a huge Once Upon A Time fan, I was as disappointed with their Maleficent choice as well as their Aurora and Phillip choice. I really wanted more of a Maleficent presence in Once (even though she has appeared in other forms a couple of other times). And there is NO WAY that the Evil Queen would EVER best Maleficent in a fight, so don't get me started on that whole Once episode!

Eleanor Audley will always be my Maleficent, so it's time to reveal her stitch: