This week's smiles.....week 265

It's been another week filled with smiles for me this week....everything from a new mattress for our bed to happy, satisfied customers and a special afternoon spent with little Theo.  My photos for this week are of the promise of things to come......have I told you just how much I love Spring?

We have had some really lovely sunny spells over the last week and the daffodils are in full bloom now but the rest of the garden is springing into life too....just look how much promise of things to come we've got.

Do you remember the tiny plant Sam brought me a few weeks back?  Well, I've watered it and taken off the dead flower heads as they have bloomed and just look at it now....I keep it on the windowsill in my sewing room and it makes me smile every time I look at it.....plus there lots more little buds to come out yet.

Isn't nature wonderful?








That's all from me for this week.  I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend filled with smiles.
Hugs,
Annie x

WOYWW....

Hello all my lovely blogging friends.  Here we are at yet another Wednesday show and tell day.  My post today comes with a health warning and a warning for the squeamish further down the page.

First I'd like to introduce you to my latest creation....

Meet my new design for a  Memory friend.  I have designed a little rabbit this time and have put him up for an Easter draw for my followers on my Facebook Page so if you'd like to be in with a chance to win him then please pop over and join in the fun.....good luck folks.

Confession time.....Jo and I had an afternoon together on Saturday while the men were at the football match and we popped into our favourite fabric shop in Shrewsbury [in fact it's the only one really!] and this gorgeous material just stuck to me like a magnet....it would have been rude not to pay for it before leaving the shop.

Here's my desk in all it's glory today....I'm busy making some ATCs for the up and coming 9th anniversary swap for WOYWW...but I've hidden them from view cos I'm a tease.

If anyone wants to swap with me then please send me your postal details to wipso2310@gmail.com 

nb this could well be a new email address to you so take note.

Now for the health warning....please look away now if you're squeamish.

NEVER under any circumstances get your finger under the needle when you are using a sewing machine!!!

I have always been very proud of the fact that in all the years of sewing I have never caught my finger under my sewing machine....that is until last Friday!!!

What a funny experience that was!!....I felt really sick and nearly fainted and it's not something I plan to do again in a hurry.....I will add it looks far worse than it is and is  healing well now, if still a little tender, but it amazed me just how many things I do in a day uses that finger....ouch!!

There you go that's all from me for today.  If you leave me a little comment to let me know you've called in I will do my best to pay you a return visit as soon as I'm able.  Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 264

I don't know about you but I've got that Friday feeling again.  It's been one of those weeks when a few things have annoyed me but I'm determined not to let them get to me and plan to focus on what's made me smile so here goes...

Our garden is full of Spring flowers and I love it.  We've had some lovely sunny spells and that's opened out so many blooms this week.  In the bottom right photo you will even see that we have the first buds coming out on our little willow tree.

Saying that there has still been colder spells so this is the other thing that's made me smile...

It's my latest batch of homemade chicken and veg soup, just what you need for lunch eh?

I really love home made soup and this was really yummy.

I also found some funnies to share with you but alas the lap top is playing games with me and wont let me share them so maybe another day.

For now just leave me a little comment so I know you've called in and then link up to your own smiles below.  I really hope life is being kind to you all and you have lots to smile about.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

I'm back working this week....I had a few days off last week with my hubby and enjoyed lots of quality time which included a full day with little Theo on Friday so his mummy could work [his other Nanny and Grandad usually have him on a Friday but they were both poorly]....treasured times for us while they got better.

I have had an exciting week because I posted my two finished quilts to the lady who commissioned me to make them and I then waited patiently for them to be given to her gorgeous little granddaughters.  Everyone was really thrilled with with them both and I can now share them with you...

I'm so chuffed with them both and have already been sent two gorgeous photos of Emmi and baby Phoebe with their quilts.

I've really enjoyed my quilt making and have now been asked to make some mini quilt / baby comforters so thought I'd share them with you...

I've decided to make two different sized mini quilts and plan to personalise them if wanted by appliqueing the appropriate initial letter in one of the squares.

What do you think of them?

That's all from me for today....I have another wedding dress to alter today so I will be visiting my blogging friends in between sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles ......week 263

Another week....more smiles.  I can always find something to share each week that has made me smile.....I'm so lucky.  I have changed my header photo to share our gorgeous little tete-a-tete daffodils....Spring is on it's way and that always makes me smile. [Even though there is the promise of more snow this week yet!].

This week our 5 school aged grandchildren had a day at school celebrating world book day....It was delayed because of the snow.  They are all lovers of reading and a new book is always a treat ...

Amy's three went dressed up as The naughtiest school girl, Dennis the menace and Matilda.

Lexi went as one of her My Little Pony characters and Sam went as Cat in the Hat.

They all really enjoyed their day and were pleased to use the school vouchers for their free books.....brilliant idea.

Both my hubby and I have had this week off work and have enjoyed our time together and today we have this gorgeous little man coming for the day while his mummy works because his other Grandparents, who usually have him on a Friday, are both poorly.  I'm sorry they are poorly and really hope they are better very soon but we will enjoy our little visitor today.

I hope you will leave me a little comment to let me know you've called by and will then link up to your own smiles below.

Have a great week filled with smiles and thanks for joining in the fun.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Here we go again...it's another Wednesday show and tell of our creative spaces.....I love it. There are so many really clever folk out there willing to share their skills so why not join in the fun?  To find out more then just pop along to Julia's blog by clicking on this link...Stamping Ground.

So what's on my desk today?

I had so many lovely comments about the finished quilt I showed you last week....thanks folks.

I've been working on the next one this week [now finished and posted so will share a pic as soon as I can].

We decided it needed a border of the spotty lemon before binding it in a pretty pale pink and of course I didn't quite have enough to go all round so.....

......I had to order some more lemon spotty.  Of course it was worth making  a parcel up to justify the postage so here's my latest fabrics.

I am aware I have a problem when it comes to fabrics but my quilts have been shown so much interest that of course I have to have fabrics to hand [to stroke] in case I get more orders.  :-)

I have also had this gorgeous Wedding dress to shorten plus a bridesmaids dress and another gorgeous dress to alter this week [sorry I forgot to take pics of the other two to share with you].  I have several more posh dresses up and coming too so it's really lovely to work on such lovely things.

As you can see no two days are the same here and you can probably tell just how much I love my job and I know just how lucky I am.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will leave me a little message so I know you've called by so I can pay you a return visit when I get the chance.  I hope you all have a great week and the our friend Shaz is soon feeling much better.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 262

Oh what a lovely week it's been here at Sewing by Annie's.  Last week we were up to our ears in snow and this was the view out of my sewing room door....

Some of the snow drifts were very deep as you can see and that little lot was covering my little tete-a-tete daffodils!

The snow seemed to be with us for days and our youngest daughter was snowed in for several days with 3-4 foot drifts on the road from her home!

The snow eventually disappeared over night and on Wednesday morning there wasn't a sign of it in our garden.

Just look what I've snapped for you....bless them they are no more than about 4" high but have survived being completely covered in snow and the sunshine we are having now has opened out the very first of the blooms.

I had a special little visitor arrive at 7 on Tuesday morning because his mummy had been called into school to cover for another teacher who was off sick.  Bless him, he's cutting big back teeth and had been up a lot in the night so we had lots of cuddle times and it was a long day for us all but he never fails to make me smile.  

I love the stage he's going through now....he's like blotting paper and listens to everything you say with such interest....and copies everything too.

I had lots of toys out to play with but his favourite toy of the day was a new shoe box....isn't it always the way?

Spring is definitely on it's way.  Theo enjoyed a sneaky preview of the baby chicks that had just hatched for a project at his mummy's school....don't you just love a fluffy new hatched chick?....Theo did as you can see.

That's all my shares for today.  Please leave me a little message and then, if you can, link up to your own smiles below.  Thanks to all who join in each week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Hello all.  I really hope you've been managing to keep warm while we've been under a blanket of snow across the country.  I had a couple of customers who managed to bring their sewing to me but otherwise I've been using that gorgeous fabric I shared with you on Friday to make a quilt.....

For those who didn't see it on Friday this is the fabric I had ordered for two quilts I've been commissioned to make...it was my customer's choice of fabrics and isn't it all lovely?

The quilts are to have a panel in the middle with the little girl's names appliqued in and here is the first of them under my machine being stitched in place.....I do love this machine blanket stitch my machine does....don't you?

Once I'd finished the middle panel I then had lots of fun deciding where the patchwork squares were going to go before stitching them all together.
I then sewed a pink spotty border around the quilt before wadding and backing it and then quilted it all together.

I've now completed the first quilt but I'm keeping the name covered until it's been given to my customer.  I have another quilt to make now but we have to await the arrival of the new baby before we know her name so I've just been plotting and planning with colours until then......exciting times.








I hope you have enjoyed  seeing what I've been making this week and will leave me a little message so I know you've called by.  I will do my best to pay you a return visit but life is a little hectic here at the mo.
Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles....week 261

Here we are at my Friday catch up of the week's smiles again....the week's are flying away aren't they?  It's March already and tomorrow is my darling hubby's birthday so, weather allowing, we will hopefully be making memories and having lots to smile about.

So here's the pics I am sharing today....

The materials I was waiting for have arrived.  They are for the two quilts I've been commissioned to make for two special little girls....and new fabrics always make me smile....especially ones as pretty as these.

I've already attacked them with my scissors too so haven't spent too long stroking them first.

Whilst looking for paperwork in my cupboards to finish off my accounts that I've been getting up to date this week I found two large wooden buttons that I bought ages ago and I've finally backed them with circles of felt and made two drink coasters with them.

I also noticed how I had scissors scattered in every cupboard I went in so thought I should have a sort out and made a sunshine out of them to share with you before putting them away where they should live [I thought it would brighten up this cold snowy day]....yes I do have rather a lot of scissors don't I?  Many of them get used on a daily basis as I have different scissors for each job I do...and God help you if you use my fabric scissors for cutting paper...the paper ones are the orange handled ones at 11 o'clock [no I'm really not a paper crafter am I?].

That's all from me for today.  Please leave me a little comment before you go and if you can then link to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x