Another Funday....

Jo joined me as normal this morning to share another Funday Monday here at Sewing by Annie's.  We always start our morning measuring and cutting any curtains as you know but today....wahoooooo we had none to do so we had a catch up and then decided to spend our time sewing for Africa  :-)  The lovely Di sent us a pretty pink floral quilt cover and toning pink sheet a while back to make into little dresses but as we were both having a catch up with other sewing jobs at that time it had been put into our store for future use.  We decided today was the day to make use of it so we chatted over the colour combos and the pieces were cut out ready.  Jo has since made the 3 pretty little dresses and I'm sure will do a show and tell over on her blog later.

This morning I read Louise's blog over at Sew Scrumptious and saw she has now received 1314 dresses to date but is now needing shorts making for little boys.  Of course we had just the material for the job and today I have run up the 5 little pairs of shorts we managed to cut out earlier this morning.

Louise is in need of 50 more pairs of shorts by the end of June so if you would like to join in and make her a few then please follow this link to see how....they are simply made but I'm sure they will do the job nicely.

Meet my new friend...and an update

I have been asked to make a tabard for one of the WOYWWers and I sent her out a picture of a tabard marked with coloured lines so she could give me some measurements and this is what she sent me back.  :-)  I'm not mentioning any names but I am certain I will recognise her now when I see her  :-)

 [of course they may be some of you who will already recognise her from this picture  :-) :-) ].

As requested....here is the best snap I could take of the finished tabard.  Diana is very slim and the tabard doesn't fit her very well but she was the only other one here with me today to model it  :-)

I have to say she really made me smile and I hope it does you too.  Also I will add that I've now finished her tabard so I will be posting it to her very soon.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Yes, it's Wednesday again and so very many bloggers now link up on this day and expose their messy cluttered disorganised creative spaces so us nosey folk can have a good snoop into their lives.  If you want to find out more or would like to join in with the madness fun then please pop over to visit our queen of snoop Julia.  She is the jam that keeps us all together  :-)

So folks? What has been happening in my world this week.  I've done a 'mainly picture' blog today...so it's quicker for you to read and quicker for me to type cos life is manic here  :-)

I've made two red seat pads for the munchkins to use their other grandparent's two single buggies.  I've made these to measure with slits so the straps will go through.

....they will be more comfy now :-)

My latest little 'fish and chip baby' jumper.  I'm now making the beanie hat to match  :-)  Please follow this link if you want to have a go at knitting one....they are very easy to make.

My 'to do' rail looks like this today.  Jo and I had a 'Munchkin Monday' this week.  :-)  

• Normally when I have a day looking after the twins I am here alone so I shut up the shop for the day.  
• Often when Jo is here on a Monday for our normal Funday Monday we have no customers.  

I had a bright idea this week that cos there was two of us here to look after the munchkins and cos I was sure we could also cope with the odd customer I would stay open.....this week I had 7 customers!!! Plus they all came with more than one item needing doing and most of them needed fittings!!!!!  If I say that I spent yesterday catching up and my rail still looks like this today then you will understand if I struggle to get round many blogs this week  :-)  I will do my best I promise. 

Also you will all know how much I hate curtains and here is another reason why.  I hate spiders much more!!!  These curtains have come to me really dirty for shortening and the inhabitants were still in situ!!  Arghhhhhhh.

 

So, today I have NO not one pair of curtains to shorten, NOT two pairs of curtains but THREE pairs!!!   I may be a while.

So there you go.  As you can see it's another busy week over here at Sewing by Annie's.  I would like to say a huge thank you to all who called by here last week.  I popped in to visit you all but was unable to leave comments on a couple so I'm sorry for that but I blame blogger!

I hope you all have a fab week and thanks for calling in.  Please leave me a little hello comment before you leave and I will do my best to do a return visit.

Hugs,

Annie x

Shopping anyone?....

My snap to make you smile today is one of my gorgeous Granddaughters manning the shop.  We bought Lulu the shop for her birthday and clever Great Auntie Jo made two little shop assistants outfits for them to look the part.  As you can see they are really loving every minute of it ....how could you resist their bargains?  :-)

I hope this raised a smile for you today as it did me...and don't forget to pop over to their shop this week for your groceries  :-)

Have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

I'm a little later posting today cos I've had a few days off work to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary [see post below].  Please help yourselves to a drop of bubbly to help us celebrate [we were actually given 2 free glasses of bubbly at lunch time yesterday by our waiter when he realised why we were there].

It's be a wonderful few days but I am back to work today and just know that there are lots of customers waiting for my services [several have left me messages on the answer phone to tell me so too!] so I'm guessing I will be pretty busy catching up.  So?  What have I got to share with your today?

I have been asked to show you my finished bride dolls.  As you can see they have ringletted hair, a veil and I've added a few silver beads for their tiaras.  I'm sure these will amuse the little flower girls on the big day don't you?

I have been knitting for the 'fish and chip' babies and this is the first set I have finished.  The idea is to make little jumpers and hats from left over balls of wool and as you can imagine I have just a few of those  :-)  If you would like to find out more and would be willing to join in for this good cause then please pop over here for more details.

The last thing I have to share with you is a collection of snaps I've taken around our garden.  Our garden seems to be springing into bloom following all the showers of rain we have had lately.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit here this week.  Thanks for calling by.  Before you pop over to Julia's to join in the WOYWW fun please leave me a little hello comment and I will do my best to pay you a visit in between my sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

30 years to celebrate....

I have so much to celebrate today.

This day 30 years ago I married a man I had only known for 8 1/2 months.  We met on a blind date on Sunday 2nd August 1981 and by the Tuesday we had decided to get married.  We got engaged on 29th September that same year and decided to get married on my Dad's birthday on April 17th 1982....

Happy birthday Dad....he would have been 92 today.

Back then several said it wouldn't last but we have proved them wrong and here we are 30 years later, 3 wonderful children who make the world a better place for them being in it and now 5 wonderful Grandchildren also doing their bit and I can proudly say I love him more today than ever.  Life hasn't always been easy but the knocks have only made us stronger.  

Here are a few snaps of our celebrations so far....

D and I have just got back from going to the Millennium Centre in Cardiff to see Paul Merton's show....brilliant.

Before the show they put on free entertainment in the wonderful foyer where we sat and enjoyed our tea and a glass or two  :-)

Last night all of our gorgeous family treated us to tea out and gave me a bouquet of gorgeous flowers.  Thanks to each and every one of you.  We love you all and are so very proud of you.

They had a celebration cake made for us....yes he really did have hair back then  :-)

They had the same picture framed up for us .....gosh we looked so young back then!

This is the card Jo made for us and they gave us 3 carnation plants with the names...Romance, Slap 'n tickle and Mother of Pearl.  She very cleverly wrote poems to go with each one to mark out the 3 stages of our relationship too.  Thanks Jo you are a treasure.

We have so much to feel blessed for.  Here's to the next 30 years  :-)

Bumper cars anyone?.....

"I'm faster than you!"

When you have two of everything it makes life more fun.  My Friday's smile post this week is just a quick snap of the munchkins having fun on the tiled kitchen floor in their baby walkers.....and can't they make them go!  :-)

Today is Jo and G's 38th Wedding Anniversary so I would like to wish them all the best and hope they both have a really special day.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs,

Annie x

Last chance...

There are just 2 sets of rubber stamps left for sale on ebay now so if you're interested please follow the link below.  Time is running out so please hurry.

My ebay

WOYWW....

What a wonderful week I've had since last Wednesday.  Not only have we had all the Easter celebrations, we have also had our little Lulu's 2nd birthday party.  

Happy Birthday Lulu for yesterday....My, how you've grown since we took this pic :-)

I've really enjoyed 4 days off work with lots and lots of wonderful family times.  

We took our little twin munchkins to see our old neighbour in her care home as an Easter treat.  I'm sorry to say she isn't too well at the mo and old age really is taking it's toll on her [she was asleep on her bed and still in her nightie and dressing gown at nearly lunch time  :-( ] but her face really lit up to see the little ones.  I'm not sure she would remember we had been 5 mins after we left but for that moment alone the effort was all worth while....thanks M.

What is on my desk today?.....

This is the latest little hoody that I've knitted for my friend's expected first Grandbaby.  It's sat on my table waiting to have it's buttons sewn on.  

Here are the latest 3 little dollies in the making.  They are to be bride dolls for the three little flower girls at Michelle's wedding in July hence their silver shoes. 

This is one of them in the next stage of the making.  I've made her a little ivory satin dress and firmly stitched a little posy of flowers on the front.  She still needs lace edged pants [can't have a girl getting married without her pants can we!!].  Not sure if I will give her a veil or quite how I will do it yet and I still have to decide on hair and facial features too.  Can you tell just how much fun I'm having?

This morning I plan to be working on the real Wedding dress if my customers stay away long enough so will call by to visit your desks in between jobs.  Do leave me a little hello message to say you've called by before popping over to see Julia and I will do my best to do a return visit asap.

Hugs,

Annie x

Friday's smile...

It's obvious that our little munchkins have different tastes when it comes to food.....

Sam likes duck and Lexi is a fish eater  :-)

It's good to see they share nicely.  I hope my snap has made you smile. Happy Easter weekend to you all.

Hugs,

Annie x

Forget me not

WOYWW.....

It's Wednesday again!  Where did those other 6 days go?  Are there still 7 days in a week and 24 hours in each day?  Time passes so quickly and we just have to fill every day with something special.

This is what I have woke up to this morning!!!!  Where have the blue skies gone to?  Brrrrrrrrrrr

So? What do I have to show you this week?  On my desk today is the results of our Funday Monday.  

Little Lexi loves to hunt out the labels on all the toys she plays with and Michelle had seen an idea for a little comforter with ribbons all round it.  It was a 20cm square of felt and I don't like tinies to play with felt cos it is not nice to suck and all little ones put things in their mouths don't they?  So Nanny Annie put her thinking cap on and this is what I came up with....

Cathy caterpillar  :-)  All the ribbons / legs are different so that they all have slightly different textures.  I wonder what Lexi will think of it.  :-)
[Recognise the stripey fabric Jo?]

Of course I couldn't just make one so Bertie beetle came next.  :-)

Yes I'm quite mad but to work here it certainly helps.  :-)

I've finished them both off with eyelashes and a smiley mouth  :-)

Do you remember this pic from back in Nov 2011 that I made two fab ABC bags from kits Jozart sent me for my grandies?  Well here is a fab pic Michelle sent me yesterday of the one being well tasted tested by Lexi  :-)

She is now sitting [with just a little support at her back] so is able to explore lots of different toys now....all that labour of love was well worth it wasn't it?  :-)

The other special thing I've been working on this week is Michelle's special dress....poor pic I know but that's on purpose so the detail stays hidden  :-)

It has been a quiet week with sewing for my customers [a very rare thing for me] so I could turn to one of my jobs that I have waiting in the wings [ and there are lots of those  :-) ].  I have managed to shorten the hems on two of the layers...still more to go  :-)

This morning I have customer's trousers on my 'to do' rail so the Wedding dress will stay under covers today.  Hope you all have a lovely week and fill your days with lots of special activities.  Thanks for popping by.  Please leave me a little hello comment before you pop over to visit Julia and link up with the WOYWW fun.

The last of my rubber stamp packs....

I have put the last 4 packs of my rubber stamps on ebay so please follow this link and pop along here if you want to grab a bargain

My ebay

Wanted...a giant of a gardener with a good technique...

We have yet again crammed in a lot in the last few days.

• Knitting...the little hoody is coming on very well..will show and tell when it's finished.
• Family times....Saturday afternoon was spent with 'much older' sister Jo and Michelle joined us with the Munchkins while all our men went to watch Shrewsbury Town play footy.  Sunday afternoon our house was filled with all 5 of our Grandies, 2 mummies, a daddy and a very proud Nanny and Granddad....bliss.
• Sunday night was a special treat evening by Jo for my hubby's birthday....She took us to the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury to see Mike Harding.....just brilliant.  He is still as entertaining as ever...we giggled and sang along and came home feeling uplifted....Thanks Jo.
• Sunday morning hubby and I went to a garden centre in Welshpool, had a walk round the fab plants and flowers,  enjoyed a yummy Sunday lunch there [Roast Lamb, my fav] and I'm now thinking of taking up gardening....but all I can say is how do I reach the handle of the spade?  Sadly the gardener that owned the spade wasn't around to show me his technique.  :-)

Right I'm off to get creative....after all it is Funday Monday today.  Have fun folks and thanks for calling by.