Trip to the NEC - Sewing for Pleasure Show

I went to the NEC Sewing for Pleasure show this morning and bought a few items for my stash. The Polar Bear is actually a gift for my Mum, and is Pixel Art rather than cross stitch. You have lots of little tiny squares of plastic that you put onto a baseboard using tweezers and following a pattern. My mum's been having trouble cross stitching lately, so I thought this might be something new for her to try.

The 'Lacemakers do it on pillows' was a kit that I couldn't resist - and I love County Needlecraft designs as they give you the chance to try different stitches and techniques. It's really nice to be able to mix across my two favourite crafts in this way too - there's no way I can replicate cross stitch in lace so it has to be the other way instead!!

I didn't actually buy the red squirrel today, but as it is to be my next 'between' project I thought I'd include it. I bought it last year when I went to Brownsea Island off the Dorset coast. I didn't manage to see any real red squirrels whilst I was there so I got the kit instead!

My next goals/projects are to:

• Sort out my Snow Hunter project (I need to unpick a small area, as I was stitching it last year when I didn't really have the concentration to do it properly).
• Do a chunk of Winter Wonderland - I'd like to try and finish it by this coming Christmas.
• Start on my next major project - a design from All Our Yesterdays called Raggetty Ann from issue 116 of Cross Stitch Crazy. This pictures a little girl standing on a beach looking out to sea. I'm going to do this for my Nan's birthday - which is in December! I bought all the threads today - including satin and colour variations which I've never used before.