WOYWW....

Hello fellow WOYWWers.  It's been another productive week here at Sewing by Annie's.  It is half term so I haven't had my little twinnie friends here this week.  Monday was the first Funday Monday Jo and I had had for a while so I managed to make a few extra quilt squares for the Children in Need appeal....see prev post.  I took all the finished quilt blocks and money to Jacquie yesterday and she asked me to say a huge Thank you to all that helped to raise the funds....think she was rather blown away that you had each made so many quilt squares.  :-)  I will do my best to get some photos of the finished quilts to share with you when they are made.

Yesterday was a day off for me [hehehe what's one of those I hear you ask ] so I had a day doing things I wanted to do.....yes of course most of it was spent sewing....cos it's what I love doing.  So on my desk today is the finished results of a day's fun....

I rummaged through my material boxes and made 14 little bravery bead bags for the children having treatment for Leukaemia at Alderhay hospital.  Jo [zart] had been making some so I felt I should make a few to help out.....if you want to know more please pop over to the LillyBo quilt blog.

I also bagged up another batch of LillyBo bears to go in the parcel for Jo [zart].  They use these to raise funds for the family's of the children suffering from Leukaemia and having treatment.....I will get these in the post to you soon Jo.

So there you go,  I've been rather busy trying to give a little back.  I feel so very lucky to have a happy and healthy family so like to use my talents to help other less fortunate.

Today I shall be doing my best to clear some of the rail full of customers sewing plus of course the two pair of ****** curtains that need shortening!!  It can't be all fun no work can it?  :-)

Thanks for dropping by to see what I've been up to this week.  I will do my best to pop over to pay you a return visit if you leave me a little hello comment.

Hugs,

Annie x

T for Tuesday...and quilt square update

It's half term holiday here this week so this means I don't have my little twinnie munchkins to keep me busy today.  Please don't imagine for one minute that I'm sat with my feet up though.  I had a really busy Funday Monday with Jo yesterday....not only did I make more quilt squares for the Children in Need fund raising but I think at the last count I had 7 customers throughout the day.......this of course means I now have a rail full of sewing to clear this week.....including 2 pair of ******* curtains!!!

Today I am joining T for Tuesday and linking up over at Elizabeth's....just cos I can :-)

My cup of coffee in one of my fav mugs was enjoyed with my breakfast of porridge.  As I can't have sugar I add a sprinkling of no added sugar fruit muesli before cooking and it tastes really yummy...try it sometime.  :-)
I have done my best to snap my pic to show you the gorgeous autumn colours out in the garden.  The sun is shining this morning and it looks wonderful out there.....even Rocky is enjoying the view today. :-)
 [or just maybe he has seen a squirrel :-) ]

I am also sharing with you all the wonderful quilt squares made by my blogging friends for me to pass on to my friend Jacquie today.  I would like to thank each and every one of you for the quilt blocks and the £2 donated with each square made.  These quilt blocks will be made into children's quilts and then raffled off to raise further funds for the Children in Need appeal....every one who kindly donated squares will have their name entered into the draw so will be in with a chance to win one of the quilts.

6 quilt squares from Tilly [Tillyscraftycorner]

5 squares from Jo[Jozart]

5 squares from Jan [Lunch Lady]

3 squares from Janet [Fairy Thoughts]

4 squares from Jo [Twiglet]

Plus of course a few of mine to go with them. :-)

I will do my best to get pics of the finished quilts to let you all know what the finished results looked like but would like to say a huge 

 THANK YOU

to each and every one of you for helping to raise the funds for Children in Need.  I am taking all the quilt squares down to Jacquie this morning so she can get quilt making.  :-).

This week's smiles....week 41

Oh how these weeks fly by and this week has been no exception.  It was my birthday on Wednesday and it is our gorgeous son's birthday today....yes folks I went into labour in the night of my 30th birthday!!!!....a very aging experience :-)

Happy 26th Birthday Mark xxxx love you to bits xxxx

I had lots of giggles at your posts last week girls so thank you so much for sharing them all with us.  I have to say that I am featuring Sam's post this week though hoping that the advertisment for her plumber will encourage him to call on me in the near future....it would be so handy for party times.  :-)  Thanks for sharing Sam.

I have so many fab pics to share with you this week as you can imagine and will add them at the end but I just want to challenge you to all to turn up your sound to play this video and not be chuckling at the end of it...

Isn't laughter contagious?

Dressing up for Halloween.  :-)

Our little Pumpkin.  :-)

Our little artist.....he loves drawing and this is one of his Daddy. :-)

I really hope you have enjoyed my shares this week and you will go from here with a smile on your face.  Please have a look around you and share your smiles this week and link them up below some time before next Friday.  I will visit each and every one of you and will feature my favourite in my next happy post.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Here we are with another week flown by and joining up with our crafty friends all round the world to share a little of our creative spaces.  It's a quick post from me for today cos it's my birthday and I have lots of catching up with my sewing cos I've had my usual two little munchkins Monday and Tuesday.  I will do my best to find time to drop in on all that call by here...and a few more probably but it may take me a day or two to get there this week.

On my desk today is.....

....a few more quilt squares in the making for the Children in Need appeal.  Please folow the link to check out the details.

If anyone has promised me squares I hope to get a few more finished myself and plan to take them all to Jacquie's next Tuesday before the closing date so please do you best to get them to me by then....Thanks to all who have said they will join to help to raise funds with us.

I must say a big thank you to Tilly who has already made us 6 quilt squares for the appeal as they arrived yesterday morning....they are really gorgeous Tilly....you're a gem xxxx

The other completed thing I'm sharing with you today is the little knitted hoodie I've made for our neices new little boy Noah. Cute isn't it?

Finally I'd just like to share a glass of bubbly with you to celebrate my birthday.....lets hope before this time next year I have lost even more weight [weigh in this week confirmed I have now lost 2 1/2 stone :-) ] and I hope we will be will be sold up here and moved into a nice bungalow closer to the family.....keeping everything crossed.

Cheers.
Hugs,
Annie x

New autumn look for my blog..

I always enjoy snapping a pic from the garden to share with you and to give my blog a look to match the changing seasons.....really hope you like the pic of the crab apples on our tree outside our kitchen window.  The birds seem to leave the fruit alone til they have had a frost or two...think it softens and ripens the fruit.

Enjoy.

This week's smiles....week 40

Wow!  40 weeks of smiles!!! Where has that time gone?  Thank you to each and every one of you who has joined in during all that time.   My featured blog this week is Ros over at Wild Cards on my Workdesk.  I just loved her pic of those baby ducks with all their little legs stretched out behind them.  :-)  Thanks for sharing Ros.

I have so many things this week that has made me smile so I'm sharing them all.

Birthday fun for our youngest Grandson  Stephen.  Don't you just love his cake?

I know they will bless me in years to come but this really made me smile.  My little twinnies reading their books while sat side by side on their potties  :-)

My third quilt square for the Children in Need fund raiser....you can see details here if you want to join in....there is still time as a simple square like mine really doesn't take long to make.

And my last pic is of the most gorgeous rainbow over our garden this week.  Isn't nature wonderful?  Thanks for dropping by.  I really hope at least one of my pics made you smile as much as they did me.  Please leave me a little hello comment and if you can then please snap something that has made you smile this week and link it up below to share with your friends.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

I noticed the boss has posted early this week while enjoying her holiday in Spain so if it's ok for her I thought I'd join in the fun early too  :-)

As most of you will know I had 3 twinnie munchkins days last week so that just left me Thursday and Friday to play catch up with all my sewing jobs.  Life here is never boring :-)  I now have 1263 customers on my books and I still get one or two new ones each week so I'm kept pretty busy  :-)

It was a party day on Sunday to celebrate our youngest grandson Stephen's second birthday so on Saturday [yes, I know I leave everything to the last minute! ....something about a cobbler's wife going barefoot comes to mind :-) ] I looked in my wardrobe for something to wear.  Now girls when you've lost 2 1/2 stone in weight you can imagine just how much better I am feeling but when you check out last winter's clothing you can also imagine that my clothes just don't fit any more!!  Some I can take in of course but I thought I'd share a pic of one I tried on to give you a giggle today....

I bought this top for last Christmas and yes it was a loose fitting top but not quite that loose!!! In fact both my hubby and I can now get in it [he's lost over a stone too].

So? What does a girl do when her clothes no longer fit?

Answer.....Of course she spends all Saturday afternoon making herself a new top that does fit.  :-)

Do you recognise the material Jo [zart]?  It was the piece I bought in Abakhan on the day we came to see you.....and I love the results.  :-)

And the family we saw on Sunday at the party were family that we hadn't seen since I started to lose weight so I had lots of really lovely positive comments while I was wearing it.  :-)

Makes you feel great doesn't it?

I have also made my first two 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" patchwork squares to raise money for the Children in Need appeal.....if any of you can make patchwork squares and are willing to help us raise some money than please check out the details on this earlier post.

I am very happy to collect the squares here and will pass them on to my friend Jacquie to be made up into children's quilts to be auctioned to raise further funds so please contact me for details if you need them....wipso@toucansurf.com

The last pic I'm sharing today is one of my little munchkins examining some of Nanny Annie's buttons.  I think the love of buttons is in their genes cos they spent ages carefully looking at each one....I have such happy memories of doing just the same with my Mum's buttons as a child.

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) 

Thank you for calling by today.  I hope you have enjoyed your visit....I think I visited everyone who visited me last week but I couldn't leave comments on them all for some reason so sorry for that.  I will do my best to do better this week but alas these computers and blogger sometimes have a mind of their own.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 39

Thanks to all who joined in the fun this last week.  It's really good to know others like to share their smiles too and know all too well how good it makes you feel to focus on the good things in our lives....it gets us through the not so good times for sure  :-)

This week I am featuring Elizabeth's happy post.  The picture that won my heart was the one of little Rhian who absolutely adores her uncle Alun.  Elizabeth has snapped a pic of her snuggled up on the sofa with him for a nap.  Alun wasn't feeling too well and I really hope he is feeling much better now.

My snaps today are two to show you why getting up at silly o'clock in a morning is so very worth it....

These two came running up my path three days this week in their pyjamas when it was barely light.....as Sam would say  'dark night Nanny'.  They greet me each morning with big smiles and lots of hugs.  Here you can see them, now sitting up at the table, on their new booster chairs and tucking into their breakfasts.  They are both such independent little people now and are such a joy to care for.

I hope my pics have made you smile today....I know these little twins have got quite a fan club out there that have enjoyed watching them grow up.

If you can do simple patchwork please also read the post below this one.

Please have a look around you and find something in your lives that has made you smile this week to share your friends.  Smiling really does make you feel better and is very contagious.

To all my quilt making friends out there.....Can you help?

Back on 11th September my 'much older' sister Jo shared with you pics of our good friend Jacquie's new sewing space in a local shop.  She is getting lots of interest in her sewing workshops and business is picking up nicely for her.  She is such a lovely, fun loving girl and I really wish her all the luck in the world.

I am sharing her request with all you quilt makers out there.  She is raising funds for the Children in Need's appeal and would like any of you out there who can make a simple 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" square patchwork block to join in the fund raising.

I have scanned her leaflet so you can see all the details but am more than happy to receive any completed squares and pass them on to her so please email me at wipso@toucansurf.com if you are willing to take part and join in the fun.  Jo and I will of course be making a square for her to support such a good cause so I am happy to pass yours on with ours.

Thanks for taking time out to read my post....I really hope a few of you out there will have fun making your quilt square and will send it with your £2 to me to be passed on to Jacquie.  

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Another week has passed and it's been another week of twinnie fun and juggling life/work to fit in and around our special times together.  Great Aunty Jo joined us for fun on Monday and she will be back down again today for more fun all being well.  This allows me to keep my sewing shop open so that customers can drop off and collect.....there will be more important things to be done today than actually sewing....like drawing, jigsaws, reading etc etc  :-)  My little munchkins will be all grown up and gone to school before we bat an eye and the sewing can wait  :-)

So for those that have called in to see what is on my desk today.....

I snapped a quick pic of the little cardigan I was knitting last week for those that asked to see it....Little Noah Timothy has now been allowed home with his mummy so tiny cardigans will be needed  :-)

And this is the next project I have on the go.  As you can see I have knitted two sleeves, two fronts and half way up the back but alas I wont have enough wool to knit the hood!  The ball band was tucked inside when I started knitting but alas I can't find it now.  These were two balls I had left over from another project and I thought it would be enough but no!  I ordered what I thought the wool was and guess what?  It was the wrong colour!  So I have ordered another one now....lets he hopeful eh?  I could end up with lots of new balls of wool all different colours....or should I say......I could end up with a lot more balls of wool all of different colours cos trust me when I say I have two boxes full of it already!!!  

See.......

Jo suggested making a quilt....or twenty  :-)

Thanks for popping by today.  It may be tomorrow before I can get to pay you a visit this week but if you leave me a little hello comment I promise I will do my best.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 38

Hello out there to all my wonderful friends who take the time out of their busy lives to share their happy posts.  I really do appreciate your efforts.  This week I am featuring Laura's post over at beads buttons & birds for a product that appears to state the bloomin' obvious  :-)  There are so many products out there that seem to do that...... like a bag of mixed nuts with a warning on the packet stating 'may contain nuts'!!! You really would hope they do wouldn't you?  :-)

My smiley photo for this week is one taken this Tuesday when I had a house full of fun, giggles and love.  Can't you just see why I feel so very blessed?

My two wonderful daughters, my gorgeous daughter-in-law to be and my five super special grandchildren.  They all came for tea and an evening of togetherness.....happy happy times.

I was hoping to have happy news on the house front today to share but alas it is not to be.  The young couple who wanted our house have dropped out and put an offer in on another house...even though it's in Wales [where they don't want to live], their little girl will have to learn welsh[ which they don't agree with], they will have to drive the children to school [and they said it was important to then that they could walk them there] and in the winter they will be snowed in!!!

Do I sound a little bitter?  Hehehe nooooooooo.....it's not in my nature.  Disappointed ? yes, because we had already put an offer in that had been accepted on the bungalow we want to move to and now can't proceed with the sale.  :-(  Oh well there will be other buyers and I'm a great believer in fate...It was just not meant to be.

Thanks for the advise Julia....this was all the blue tack I had  :-)

Now, please go and snap a pic of something that has made you smile this week and link it up below....I really do feel the world is a nicer place to be if we all make someone smile.

WOYWW...

Another week has passed and Monday we had yet another viewing....this time it was the third viewing by the same young couple!!!  How many times do some people need to see a place to make a decision about it?  So yet again it was another weekend of cleaning an already clean house....just in case they found the one remaining speck of dust :-)  Shell decided it was maybe not the best idea that we had the twins for the day so their daddy took the day off work to look after them at home....I just hope it was worth everyone's efforts this time.

So today I am showing you the baby quilt I was making.....now finished.

I hand stitched around all the characters in the middle of the quilt to complete it.  Just as well I've finished it too cos our niece has delivered early and had a little boy weighing just 6lb 10oz yesterday over 3 weeks early.

Of course today I am playing catch up with my sewing jobs cos I had my normal munchkin play day yesterday and look what I've got to do now :-(

Curtains!!!!!

You all know how much I love shortening curtains don't you?....and these ones are really wide and heavy so my arms and shoulders will be suffering later no doubt  :-(  Oh well it all pays the bills and most of my other sewing jobs I really love doing.

Well folks it's a quick post from me this morning....lots to be busy with here.  Hope you're all having a great week.  Thanks for popping by.

Hugs,

Annie x