WOYWW...

In all honesty I have to say there's been no action what-so-ever in my sewing room this week so today I'm just going to share what's waiting for me on my desk...

It's one of my Christmas presents from my hubby and I'm really hoping to find a bit of 'me time' to make a start.  Luna Lapin is a quiet and kind rabbit with impeccable taste....it says so on the front of the book...so of course she's just like me!!

We will be doing the rounds playing Santa today.....

......Amy, Dave, Phoebe, Lulu and Steve this morning,

..... Mark, Gina and Theo for Christmas dinner

...And Michelle, Brent, Lexi and Sam this afternoon.

But I plan to drop in on as many of you that I can between our visits :-) I hope you day is filled with love and smiles too.

That just leaves me to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and to thank you all for the love and friendship over the last year.  Here's hoping 2020 comes with many more sharing days and lots of meeting up and together times.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 351

Here we are at the last weekly smiles before Christmas.  I won't be writing a post on the 27th so will be back with hopefully more smiles on Friday 3rd January....I'm sure you will all have too much going on next week to be blogging.

I have a few smiles to share with you today...

Wednesday afternoon we went to see these gorgeous three in their school Nativity.  They go to a church of England school so it's really lovely to see the children taking part in their Nativity.  It was Phoebe's last one at her Primary School so it was even more special this year.

Theo and his little friend got their first gymnastics badge this week ....they were so chuffed at getting their badges and are such good friends.  I really love the photos.

Amy sent me this gorgeous photo of their two dogs in front of their Christmas tree this week.  They are such lovely dogs and Molly has grown so much now that she's almost as big as Poppy.

And finally I'm just sharing this that Amy designed for me for my sewing business.  I hope you will all have a wonderful Christmas and 2020 will be filled with very many smiles that you can share with us all.  See you back here on Jan 3rd.

Huge hugs to you all,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Hello all. Here we are at the last Wednesday catch up before the big day and thankfully my sewing business seems to be winding down nicely to allow me some 'me time'.  All the cards are written and posted and we've even wrapped almost all the parcels now so we are well prepared.  I've marzipaned and iced the Christmas cake [that much older sister of mine makes us the cake every year :-)....thanks Jo], I've made the mince pies and have even had days when I've had no sewing to do so phew....it's all looking good so far.

I'm sharing with you a pic of the last two bears I've had to make before Christmas and they are now safely with my customer in Hertfortshire....another area of the country conquered :-)

They were made from a much loved Dad's shirt and I really love the result.....what do you think?

This is my 'and finally' for this week.....I know it's a short post from me for a change :-)

I bet you can all relate to this funny....I know I can.

I hope you all have a lovely wind down to the big day and, if you don't join in next week I would like to thank you all for the love shared over the last year and to wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 350

Phew these week's sure are flying by aren't they?  It's been a hectic week here but I've had lots to smile about.....

Little Theo went with his Mummy,  Daddy and friends to Thomas Land at the weekend...it's such an exciting time of the year isn't it?

Our baking session with grandad on Tuesday we made Gingerbread biscuits and decorated them....very yummy they were too.

Lexi won an award for being a good team player at her dance awards at the weekend....just wish I could do the splits like that....don't you?

Sam had to go for a photo shoot by the side of the new road sign he designed for the new estate they now live on....the photos are for the local paper so he was very pleased with himself.

Proud Nanny moments.

Amy's girls have been trying on their outfits for their Christmas play. 

It's Phoebe's last one this year before she moves up to big school and she makes the perfect angel.

Lulu is a wise [wo]man....they have to be politically correct these days and I have a feeling if they had been 3 wise women the gifts might have been rather more practical.

Steve is a narrator so just has to wear his Christmas jumper :-)

We had a trip out in the motor home at the weekend to Colwyn Bay and it wasn't until I got in the van that my darling hubby turned the lights on inside that he had secretly put up to make me smile....it worked too :-)

Those are my smiles for this week so please leave me a little comment and link up to your smiles at the bottom.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

It's been another really busy week here at Sewing by Annie's and I have to start by saying sorry to those I didn't manage to visit last week.  I hope you will understand when you see all I've been busy with...

First was a Memory cat made in memory of a much loved Dad out of one of his shirts that has now gone to it's new home down in Bristol....another area of the country reached by my Memory Characters.

Then I was asked to make 3 Memory bears in memory of a much loved Grandma and because my customer loved them so much she asked me to make ......

.....another one and is planning on coming back for more after Christmas.

And then on Monday I made 2 Memory cats and a Memory dog in memory of a much loved mum and grandma.  I feel so blessed to be asked to make such treasured items and am so often taken into the hearts of the customers I make them for.  As I say hugs here come free.

Hope you like my latest makes and can see why I didn't manage to visit all last week.....I will try harder this week but I still have several last minute orders to arrive through the post that will need making and posting back before the big day.  I do love being kept busy so am loving life at the mo.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 349

Oh what a week.  So much to smile about even though I've been kept very busy so here's a round up of my pics for you to share.....

Through the week I've had lots of photos of the family all getting the house ready for Christmas.

Here's Amy's 3 and of course the two dogs  :-)

Here's the twins decorating their tree in the play room.

Here's little Theo decorating their trees with his mummy....he's such a lovely age now and loves all the excitement of Christmas.

Every year Amy, Dave and family have an early weekend of Christmas celebrations with their best friends and their boys and this year they went to the Isle of Wight and what a lovely weekend they had together.

Tuesday we had our little regular visitor and here he is making pudding with his Grandad....happy memories.

All 6 of our Grandchildren have advent calenders that I've made them and it always makes me smile when they come out each year and get filled ready for December.

Finally but by no means least our little Milly has had her hair cut so she's posh for Christmas but it had to be done on the coldest day of the year so far so I treated her to a new red jumper to keep her cosy.

The second pic is to show you where she likes to sit each evening.  She likes to jump up on the arm of my chair and wedge herself down the gap by the side of me  :-)  Love her to bits.

That's all from me for this week.  Please leave me a little comment and link to your own smiles below....I love to see what's making you smile each week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Here we are at another WOYWW and there aren't many left now before the big day so it's a hustle and bustle of activities here at Sewing by Annie's.  I've had lots of pending orders and several have said they are coming but that's the last I hear from them.  I have messaged them, they read their messages and then never reply....is it just me or have proper manners simply gone out of the window?  I was taught, as a child that if someone spoke to me it was rude to ignore them but it seems that it doesn't apply to the Internet....or am I just becoming a grumpy old woman?

Enough of my grumping....sorry but I do feel a little better now I've shared it and at the end of the day you are my friends you know :-)

So here's a few quick shares for today....

The little stockings you saw all cut out have now been mounted onto what I hope is my last batch of cards for this year.  I rather like this simple design.

Here's the latest pair of Memory bears for the few who don't follow me on Facebook [for those that don't...it's worth popping over there and getting your name in my Christmas Draw ...you might be lucky to win my Christmas bear].

Here's what I call a 'silk purse out of a sows ear' sort of job.  My customer had [badly] cut out 3 of the 4 stockings and then decided she wanted them lining and a cuff making for the top in the white fleece fabric but that she had bitten off more than she could chew so brought them to me to make them for her

She had cut a square out of the fleece so there wasn't enough left to line them with so I had to line them with curtain lining and just use the fleece to make the cuffs with.

If I'd made them from scratch I would have tried to get the check a little more in line with them all but I couldn't change what was already cut ....I'm pleased to say she was thrilled with them and that's all that really matters isn't it?

That's all from me for today.  I will do my best to pop over to see what you've been up to when I get a minute.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 348

Oh what a lovely week it's been here at Sewing by Annie's.  I'm being kept busy with festive makes for my customers and for me and the family...and you know just how much I love being kept busy.

We have managed 2 weeks of twice weekly gym visits and next week we will be increasing it to 3x weekly....it's still more like torture to me but I'm managing a pretty good workout each time I go now so hopefully it will be doing me good.

I have a few photos to share with you of my family...and you know how much they make me smile...

Tuesday morning saw our usual visit from little Theo....he's such a creative little man and loves building with Lego or his K'nex [even though both are for age 5 and over!] and is enjoying Christmas crafts now too.....it's such a lovely age.

Tuesday early evening Steve had his football club [hence the football kit] and the girls came to spend an hour or more with us because it was such a wet evening and their daddy was busy this week.

As you can see, we set up our Christmas tree and the girls really enjoyed decking it for us [Steve insisted on putting a few bits on before he left for football].

It's so lovely to see the girls working together and checking out each little Christmas tree decoration as they put them on the tree....so many of our decorations hold very special memories for me.

Last Saturday Phoebe, Lulu and Steve joined many of their friends to a crafting day that the mum's organise each year.....It's so lovely to see them all crafting and creating together.

Finally I'm giving you a sneaky peep at the little Christmas bear I've made for my Sewing by Annie Facebook Page Gift draw this year......don't forget to keep an eye out and to get your name down to be in with a chance to win him.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope you've found something to make you smile and will leave me a little comment before linking up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

As Christmas creeps crawls rushes at us at high speed I'm being kept very busy with all I like to do for the big day so without wasting any of our precious time I will speedily post a few pics of what I've been up to since you called here last week...

I've mounted these card toppers onto their cards and.....

....I've done these ones too so I think that's 40 now finished.

I've cut out all these little stockings and each one is backed with bond-a-web so they are ready to be ironed onto the next batch of cards.

I've been making fabric covered notice boards as a special order...a real labour of love so wont be advertising these to sell in a hurry.

Along side all the other alterations and repairs I've had to do this week I had to also open up the Teddy Hospital as this very special little bear required urgent day surgery so he could go home to his little owner for bedtime later that day.....I will add she was a very good patient and went home with her 'brave bear' sticker......Yes I know I'm nuts but it makes my customers smile :-)

That's all from me for today.  I will do my best to pop over to yours as some point but life here is rather hectic, as you can see.  :-)

This week's smiles....week 347

Christmas is fast approaching and my Sewing room is being kept very busy and that always keeps me smiling.

Wanting to get fitter and loose weight we have both started going to the gym this week and have found muscles we haven't used for a while....fingers crossed we will find the exercises easier soon and start to notice the benefits....I'm on a 14 week course advised by my Dr but my darling hubby is coming with me so that has to be worth smiling about eh?

My shared photos this week are Grandchildren based...and they never fail to keep us smiling...

Last Friday was Children in Need day and all the Grandchildren had to go to their schools dressed with spots in mind...and then each of give money towards the charity for the pleasure of going in dressed up.

We had a long day with little Theo on Tuesday.  We were up at silly o'clock to be ready for him and he didn't go home til after tea so we had lots of fun all day as you can see....he really loves building with the K'nex and has made a 'tree' out of the 'stars' he's made...such an imagination for a 3 year old.

He then got the pushchair and dolly out...he is so much like his daddy who had his own dolly at this age...I think it means they will make good daddies [I know Mark has].

Amy sent me photos of the girls cooking a lasagna for their tea....they make a good team cooking together and it really makes me smile that they are able to cook meals like this.

Michelle had bought a new fun cook book of how to make cakes in a tea cup using the microwave oven and Sam is showing the chocolate chip cookie he'd made.  The hardest part was waiting until it had cooled enough to eat it. :-)

That's all my snaps for this week.  Please leave me a little hello comment and then link up to your own smiles if you can so I can see what's been making you smile this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

It's been another busy week here at Sewing by Annie's [but what's new I hear you say].  My desk has seen lots of activity so here's a few snaps of what's been going on here in between my alterations/repairs.

My orders for Memory bears have been coming in fast and furious [I still have a further 11 pending if they all turn up].  Here's the latest three I've made.  I really love the colour combo of these three.  They are wanted for three Granddaughters to remember their much loved Grandmother by.

I made named hangers for the Christmas stockings and used my poppers to attach them.....so they just need filling with goodies before handing them over.

I then made a start at the toppers to go on my Christmas cards....I've wadded them all and sewn round each one with machine embroidery.

I then made a few more in a different colour way.....I think that's about 32 in total so far so still got lots more to make yet but at least it's a start.

That's all from me for today.  If you leave me a comment I will do my best to pay you a return visit in between my sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 346

Another week has flown by because I've been kept busy with sewing here at Sewing by Annie's but I'm never too busy to appreciate all the smiles in my life so here's a few snaps to share with you....

We celebrated Phoebe's 11th birthday this week...she's a beautiful girl inside and out.  Here she is on the morning of her birthday all ready to go to school. 

Amy put a collage together of Phoebe over the 11 years and this really made me smile....oh where did those years go?

On Sunday Sam carried the flag for his Beavers group at the Remembrance parade in Shrewsbury.  He's the oldest Beaver in his group and this will be his last year in the group before he moves up to Cubs so it was really lovely that he was chosen to carry the flag....proud Nanny moments.

Both Lexi and Sam were awarded their next swimming badge and certificate this week....I think Sam's face says it all don't you?

The ceramics we painted for my birthday treat with the girls have now been fired....don't they look gorgeous?

Those are my smiles for this week.  I hope you have found something to make you smile too and you will leave me a comment before linking up your smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x