WOYWW...

Here we are at the 'What's on your work desk Wednesday' post in between Christmas and the New Year.  If you called by last week you may remember I had been having sleepless nights while nursing my darling hubby with tonsillitis.....well, he shares everything with me [including his bugs!] and since then while he has, thankfully, got slowly better I have got slowly worse :-(  I didn't get the tonsillitis but mine landed on my chest and has also affected my ears giving me a horrible giddy head. I have to say that I could really do with these bugs going away now....I think a few good frosty nights would kill them but alas we still have mild weather here....thankfully though not the floods that many have suffered throughout the country.  My heart goes out to those affected with the floods.

As you can imagine my sewing room has been badly neglected over the last week but I do have the bits I made before Christmas to show you that I couldn't share with you when I made them and a few bit of fun I made for my little monsters....

These are two non-slip mats [for their sewing machine foot pedals] and matching pin cushions for a couple of my sewing buddies....I enjoyed making them and hope my buddies liked them.

The last time we babysat for Amy's three Phoebe said she needed a book mark for her latest reading book [she loves reading] so I searched Pinterest for a few ideas and made her a monster one.  Of course once I'd made one I got a little carried away and ended up making 2 each for all my little monsters :-)....they sit on the corner of the page to keep your place.

I hope you like my latest makes and here's hoping by next Wednesday I have something new on my desk to share with you.

I really hope you enjoy your New Year celebrations and 2016 brings you good health and lots to keep you happy but from me for now thanks for calling by.  If you leave me a little message to let me know you've called I will do my best to call by at yours to see what you've been busy with.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 151

I hadn't planned to do a Friday post today but I knew there would be a few wanting to link up so I thought I'd upload the last of the Elf on the shelf pics before he heads off back to the North Pole for another year.  He's been such a little monkey and has got up to a lot of mischief during the month but each day he has left the twins a festive activity to do and they have been as good as gold because they knew he would be reporting back to Santa each night [so he's done a brilliant job ;-) ].

Feel free to click on the collage if you'd like a closer look.  The twins knew they mustn't touch him all month or he would have lost his magic but have been allowed to give him a cuddle and say thank you for all he's left each day before he disappears tonight......and I believe he is leaving them a book tonight with lots of photos in so they can remember all his adventures this year.

I hope you have enjoyed the fun we have all had with Bob the Elf.  It just leaves me to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year and with one last smile with a pic of Santa and his Little Helper....

Thanks for calling in and for all the lovely comments and photos you've linked up over the last year to make the world a happier place.

Hugs,

Annie xxxx

WOYWW....

Hello to you all and thank you for calling by.  What's on my work desk today....

.....I really couldn't say cos there is a bed on it's side in the way.  Yes, it's more mayhem here this week because yesterday we had to clear out the new bedroom, the new kitchen, two halls and the new bathroom to have new flooring laid.

I'm sure one day we will have a lovely home but for now we will just wallow in the mess and clutter :-)

I haven't had a decent night's sleep for days because I have been playing nurse maid to my darling hubby who has had tonsillitis and his throat has been so sore he couldn't even swallow his own spit [not that I've been doing that for him lol].  I have almost had to sit on him to get him to rest but I'm hoping the worse is over now and he doesn't pass it on to me or the rest of the family.

So that's really all I can show you this week.  Hopefully I can share more exciting photos in the new year.  I really hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and very healthy 2016.

Hugs,

Annie x

Christmas tree post....just for Julia :-)

As this Friday falls on Christmas day I wont be posting my usual Friday Smile post and this morning I saw Julia had posted pics of her Christmas tree with the request that we did the same.  :-)

......of course I'm more than happy to oblige.

My tree decorating always involves lots of smiles because our daughter Amy has always loved decorating it and now brings her three little munchkins with her to 'help'.

Here they all are posing for me each with a decoration at the ready.

There is always much laughter, fun and giggles at all the things that go on Nanny's tree because each one comes with a memory....who made it, where did that come from etc etc.

We have many little knitted Santas that hang on the tree...they were all knitted by my mum from the same pattern but each one is different and every year they make me smile....my children grew up living with an ageing Grandma with alzheimer's and all that went with it but this taught them lots about life so we all smile at her Santas.....happy memories.

Here is an action shot for you....little Lulu likes to come each year with her Elf hat on [she's so like her mummy :-)].  Even Rocky has photo bombed the pic.....looking rather scruffy at the mo but is going to have his hair cut tomorrow ready for Christmas.

So there you go Julia...that my tree.  It's very heavily decorated at the bottom [because that's where they can reach], it has no colour scheme at all, there are many very old glass baubles on it and lots and lots of memories......AND I LOVE IT  :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Hoping everyone has a wonderful Christmas if you don't come back before the big day and 2016 find you all happy and healthy.

Hugs,

Annie xxxx

This week's smiles......week 150

Here we are at another weekly catch up with our smiles.  Many thanks to all who joined in last week.....life just wouldn't be the same without you all so please keep up the good work.

I am featuring Lisca's post from last week....the postcard with the little Siberian girl really had me chuckling....that really is food on the move.  I just hope she didn't eat them all at once.  Thanks for sharing Lisca.

My smiles this week have been many, as always, and here are a couple of snaps to share with you....

Here's the twins all dressed up in their party gear ready for their play school party.  They sang songs for all the mummies and daddies and had a visit from the big man in a red coat....and this one came with his own guitar to play for them. :-)

There has been a lot of Christmas magic for all the little ones and here are Amy's three visiting Father Christmas at Hawkstone Park.....I love to see the wide eyes of all the little ones :-)

And for those following Bob the elf's antics here he is with this week's mischief.  He spent one night out in the Wendy house and then had to come in for a hot chocolate the next night!  He was caught using Sam's helicopter to pinch mince pies! He had a snowball fight, a night fishing in the goldfish tank, put eyes on everything in the fruit basket and even made a snowman with toilet rolls one night!!

What adventures he's having and he's causing so many giggles....we babysat last night and he seemed to be watching me knitting so who knows what he will be up to tonight ;-)

That's all from me for this week so please leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and if you can please link up your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Hi folks it's been another busy week here at Sewing by Annie's.....nothing new there I hear you say.

House developments for this week have been that the pipes in the attics have been lagged, the insulation has been put in the attics and we now have cupboards on the walls in the utility.  The plan was to get some painting done but that will be for another time now....so many jobs, so little time when you both work but it will all get done at some point.

There's just a couple of projects on my desk to share with you today....other jobs can't be shared yet sorry as they are for Christmas presents for friends who read my blog.

Every year I make something for each of my little Grandchildren to hang on their Christmas trees.....I like to think I'm making memories for them.  This year I picked up some candy canes and have made 5 little owls with some.......

....and the rest I made into little felt mice.  It had to be something quick and easy this year as my time is so limited at the mo but the little ones seemed to like them.

As I said I have been busy in my sewing room but the rest is under wraps as yet.....I have taken photos so will share with you after Christmas [if I remember :-) ].

Thanks for dropping by today.  Please leave me a little hello message to let me know you've called and I will do my best to return the visit ASAP.  Hoping you all have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 149

Here we are at another catch up of our smiles from the last week.  Many thanks to all who joined in again last week.  I do so enjoy seeing all that makes you smile each week so please keep up the good work.

I am featuring Angela's post over at Felix the Crafty Cat from last week with her fab photos of Santa with real reindeers.....aren't they gorgeous?  Thanks for sharing Angela.

I am sharing Bob the Elf's adventures from this last week.  He's such a little monkey.  He was caught by Buzz Lightyear and Woody trying to take the baubles off the Christmas tree and had to be restrained.  He had been over here to Sewing by Annie's one night and taken my Mitzy Monkey with him and the two of them were found on a festive swing the next morning.  He's been found covered in stickers, impersonating Spiderman and has found several places to sleep.  What fun he is having!!

We were lucky enough to get to see Phoebe and Lulu in their school Christmas plays again this year.  Little Lulu was the lead roll in hers, being the Inn Keeper and even had to sing a solo [tissues came in handy!].  Phoebe was one of the ladies who had travelled from the east and her dancing was simply full of Eastern Promise....I would say her dancing was the best by far [but of course I am rather biased].

We were so very proud of them both and came away glowing.

Every morning Bob the Elf has left something for Sam and Lexi to make/do each day and here you can see them busy crafting......

....and here you can see Sam very proudly showing off what they each made.  What  lovely nativity scenes they both made.

I really love seeing all my little grandchildren being creative.

That's all I have to share with you today.  Please share your smiles by linking them up below and I will do my best to pop over to check them out ASAP.

Thanks for your efforts to make the world a happier.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Another week has just flown by here at Sewing by Annie's.  The sewing work has been flooding in and more progress has been made on the house front.

The new kitchen is all completed now apart from decorating and tiling.  In the old kitchen the cupboards were stripped out at the weekend [ and taken the the local tip in two car loads!] and a new worktop, cupboard and sink was fitted in what is now the utility.....more decorating needed.  On Monday our plumbers connected the new gas hob, disconnected the old gas cooker and fitted us a radiator in the utility........it's all go here :-)

So, what's on my work desk?

I completed the gorgeous red dress for Picklelily, the magician/children's entertainer.  It's a Lindy hop dress and suits Picklelily to perfection and I really hope it brings her lots of luck in her competition.

Since then I've made her three amazing table cloths from this sequined pink fabric....and learnt a very important lesson.  The sequined fabric is stretchy and I had to line the cloths with bright pink shiny lining fabric.  When I made the first cloth it nearly had me in tears to get it to stitch.  It was nearly impossible to get it to lie flat and the one fabric stretched and puckered on the other......then I had a brain wave.  I knew somewhere I had a walking foot for my sewing machine.  It had never been used before but I managed to find it, dust it off and wahooooooo it stitched like a dream.....guess who will be using this foot again.

This was another challenge I was brought this week.  These were patio door curtains that needed shortening but she also wanted a 14" frill sewing on the top made from another short pair of curtains.  It took a bit of working out how I was going to do them and of course my much older sister had to cut them for me....and as our Mum used to say....Two heads are better than one even if they are only sheep's heads.  :-)

So there you go.  |Just a little insight as to what's been happening here this week.  If you leave me a little hello message to say you've called in I will head over to yours ASAP to see what you've been up to.  Thanks for calling in.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 148

Hello Friday Smilers.  Last week was another week of wonderful smiles shared by many.  Thank you to all who link up and share their smiles with us.....it really does make the world a happier play so keep up the good work.

I am featuring Tilly's post from last week.  She dropped in late [but of course it's never too late] so some of you might have missed her post with the gorgeous daffodils already in bloom.  They are rather too early and I really hope they are prepared for colder weather to come but what a welcome sight they were.....I love Spring.  Thanks for sharing them Tilly.

My smiles have been many this week....as always...and here's a few snaps to share with you....

As most of you will know we have been putting in an Ikea kitchen over the last couple of weeks.  I'm thrilled to say it's nearly all finished now but thought you might have a giggle at the pile of instructions we have been left with!  There is a set of instructions in every box and with the kitchen coming in 150 boxes it's made quite a pile.....do you think Ikea would like to buy them back off us?  :-)

Some of you may have heard of Elf on the Shelf before but for those that haven't he is a mischievous little elf that gets busy during the night when children sleep and in the morning can be found in his latest hiding place by the children in the house.  He mustn't be touched or he loses his magic powers and each night he reports back to Santa about the sort of day the children have had.  The twins have one that has moved into their house for December that they have named Bob and as you can see he's already been up to mischief......there may be more pics to follow of his adventures throughout the month :-)

Steve has been shopping with his mummy while his sisters were in school and just look at his face at the sight of the inflatable snowman they found.....don't you just love him?

Lulu had to dress up as a little maid from the Fire of London for school this week.....I bet she was one of the best dressed maids there  :-)

It's been a great week here with lots of exciting sewing coming through my door but that's all the smiles I'm sharing for this week.  Please leave me a little message to let me know you've called in and link up your own smiles below.  Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Hello folks.  Here we are at another Wednesday....one of my favourite day's of the week when we all catch up with our crafty friends from all round the world by linking up over at Julia's.  It's so lovely to see what we have all been up to each week by checking out what's on everyone else's work desks.

Here's mine for this week....

To the one side and on my sewing machine is a table runner I'm making for my son and his wife for their Christmas table.

Isn't it a lovely tartan fabric?

Over the other side of my sewing room and on my overlocker is a very special dress that I am working on for a very talented lady called Picklelily.  She is a magician and children's entertainer.....please click on her link to find out more.  She was the entertainment at my Granddaughter's birthday party [and all the children really loved her] and while there we got chatting as in a previous life I used to work with a magician. :-)

I have two dresses to alter for her and some very special table cloths for when she enters a competition for children's entertainers in Blackpool early next year....of course I'm sworn to secrecy as to what I'm doing for her. ;-)

There is never a dull moment here at Sewing by Annie's.  Work is really picking up now and there is never two days the same......I'm buzzing.

I'm not the only one loving my new sewing room....as you can see Rocky loves to sit on his cushion by my door to keep me company and stand on guard and keep me safe  :-)

That's all from me for today.  Please leave me a little comment to let me know you've called by and I will do my best to return the favour.

Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x