WOYWW...

 I'm late joining in the fun today but I'm sure you will all forgive me cos I'm not feeling at my best.  I wasn't going to join in at all but that much older sister of mine said you'd miss me so I'm here just doing my best.  Most of you will know that I have been struggling with my diabetes lately and for the last month I have been giving myself weekly injections...I have tolerated these but this Monday I had to double up the dose!!  The side effects, as with most treatments, are worse than the benefits and Monday night I was kept awake most of the night.  The effects of these injections last a week so even thought I am now not to continue with them I have to suffer for this week....It's left me very weak/shaky.

Enough about all that.  I just need to say I will be reading your blogs from my comfy chair using my iPad and am unable to comment from there....but I promise I will read them.

On my desk/lap today is...

I'm sat quietly making Wilhelmina Wood Mouse....a friend for Luna Lapin of course.

  

Michelle and Co. bought me the book for my birthday back in October and I've really enjoyed reading the story that runs through it but hadn't made a start with any of the other characters.

For Christmas Gina, Mark and Theo bought me all the felt I need to make all of the other characters in the book...you can just imagine the smile on my face when I opened the parcel.

So there you go.  That's what I will be sat quietly doing today.  Thankfully I wont be working until Wednesday 6th January [although I do have a Memory bear on order from a lady in Northern Ireland] so I'm really hoping to feel much better by then.  I really hope you all had a wonderful if but different Christmas and 2021 is kinder to us all.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we are at the last Wednesday before Christmas....how did that happen?  I would like to say a huge thank you to you all for your love and friendship over this last year....my Wednesdays really have helped to get me through it all.  Let's hope 2021 sees an end to this awful virus that has taken so many of our loved ones from us and we can all get back to living a 'new' normal life.

On my desk today are bears, bears and yet more bears....

The lady I made the one little bear our of the jacket last week brought me 4 more items of clothing to make 4 more bears out of....the lovely thing was these were another jacket, 2 shirts and a jumper so they made 4 very different bears....all lovely :-)

A young man came with 2 shirts wanting a bear made out of them but when he arrived he decided he would like 3 making :-)

Finally and by no means least I made this special bear for one very special little girl who is leaving her foster home and going to her forever home at the beginning of the new year.  She is like a little ray of sunshine so this little bear is just perfect for her.  I really love it when I'm taken into the heart of my customers and they share such special things with me and it was the perfect way to finish work before Christmas....and for those asking that now brings my number up to 403 Memory Bears :-)

Now that just leaves me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Hugs,

Annie x 

This week's smiles....week 401

This is the last Friday smiles post before Christmas and I doubt I will be posting again now until after the big day so I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and lets hope 2021 comes with a little less madness.

It's been another busy week here at Sewing by Annie's with lots of Memory bears being made.  It's also been another lovely week filled with smiles too.

 

There's been a socially distanced visit to see Father Christmas for Phoebe, Lulu and Steven.

Christmas activities for the twins included icing their Christmas cake and making a gingerbread house.

It's been a week of achievements for the grandchildren too.

Lulu and Steven got school awards and Phoebe had a really glowing school report from her new school....proud Nanny moments.

Sam had a gold award for his guitar playing and Lexi had her rosette/certificate for her dance exam and the top picture is of her at her dance award evening on zoom where she won the only trophy for her age group...Star dancer award!  Amazing or what?

I'm such a proud Nanny. It's so lovely that they get rewarded for putting in the effort and enjoying what they do.

That's all I have to share for this week.  Please share your smiles by linking them up below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Hello all.  There's not many of these gatherings left before Christmas now and I've been being kept on my toes with making Memory bears and tackling other challenges.....wait til you see what that was!!!

The two Memory bears and elephant I told you I was making to go with the other's I had previously made have been received by my customer through the post and she put them all together and sent me the photo at the bottom of the pic....don't they look lovely all together?

Since then I've made 5 Memory bears for a customer down in Cornwall in memory of her husband....and may be having orders for more from there at some point for other family members.

I have also made one for a local customer out of her much loved Dad's jacket....and will be getting more orders from other family members soon too.

This was my biggest challenge of the week and I know it's one that will make you chuckle.  It's not every day you are asked to reshoe a 4 foot unicorn!!  I knew I was expecting the unicorn to arrive but I had no idea at all just how big it would be and my face must have been a picture when I opened the door to my customer!!

In the top pic you can see his worn out pink shoes and my customer had brought 2 cushion covers to replace this fabric with.  The original fabric was stretchy and the new wasn't so that was the first problem to start with.  I had to make a pattern without removing the old shoes and the new ones had to be stitched on by hand because, as you can imagine a 4 foot unicorn doesn't fit under the sewing machine!!

But, you know me, I love a challenge and the unicorn is being picked up with his new shoes later today and will be going home to one very happy little 6 year old girl.  :-)

I bet not one of you can say they have made new shoes for a unicorn before but if you have one that needs reshoeing then you know I have a pattern made for it  :-)

I hope you have all had a good week and will leave me a little message so I know you've called by.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 400

 Wow!! 400 happy posts.  How blessed are we to have had enough smiles to celebrate 400 weeks?  Keep up the good work folks and a huge thank you to all those that join in each week.

My smiles this week have been many...I've had a busy week with sewing this week and that always makes me smile.....I'm in the middle of making 5 Memory bears for a lady from Cornwall....now that really is something to smile about isn't it?

Gina has set Theo's play room up as Santa's Workshop and, as you can see, he's having lots of fun dressed up as one of the elves helping Santa.  :-)

The twins have had their annual visit from Bob, their elf on the shelf and he, his wife Betty and their friends have been up to mischief as usual....here's a few pics of what they have been up to this year so far....

So much fun is being had by all :-)

And what have we been up to?  This our latest Wasgij jigsaw.  It was called 'The Full Monty' and we had to make the picture of what the lady on the front of the box could see!!  We have certainly had a giggle making this one even though it did feel a little strange when we realised the finished jigsaw had bare bums on the picture. :-)

I hope it's made you smile too.

Please share your smiles for the week by linking them below and keep up the good job of making the world a happier place.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Oh  what a lovely day we had linking up with everyone on zoom on Saturday.  It was to lovely to see so many joining in the fun.  Many thanks must go to Julia for making it possible.

I have now finished the little Covid safe gingerbread men I was making and half of them have already gone to their new homes.  For those that didn't see them on Saturday here's the ones I still have here....

I'm sure they will put a smile on faces as they are hung on their trees this year.

The only other thing I have here to share with your today is my rail full of sewing that I did on Monday...

• I made 4 Christmas face masks
• Shortened 3 nurses dresses
• Put a new 28" open ended zip in a man's coat
• Shortened 3 pair of trousers

Not a bad start to my week eh?  I love it when I'm busy.  I have 5 shirts coming in the post from Cornwall that should arrive today for me to make 5 Memory bears out of so that should fill the rest of my week hopefully.

I hope you're all happy and well and will leave me a little message to let me know you've called by.  I will do my best to pay you a visit in between my sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 399

 Another week has passed and we are creeping closer to Christmas.  I wrote all my Christmas cards [and they are now posted] but I found I still needed more so have made another 6 this week and am now working on the tree decorations that I make for each of our 6 grandchildren [plus a few extra special little people] so I have been enjoying crafty time in between making more Memory bears and even another Memory elephant....we might have been in lockdown and are now in tier 2 [so very little different] but us creative folk can always find something to do and I'm sure it has helped during this mad time....and I can always find something to smile about :-)

Wednesday night saw my darling hubby and our son going to watch Shrewsbury town play football....they allowed 2000 supporters in to watch the game and they were lucky enough to get tickets.

They have really missed their football so this put huge smiles on their faces...even if they were hidden by their face masks.

Ever since the twins were born and could fit right inside their Christmas stockings Shell has sent me a photo of them.....boy how they have grown! I'm not sure how many more years they will fit their feet in but I'm sure they will try. :-)

There has been early signs that Christmas is on it's way here too.  The Christmas boxes are down out of the attic and, as you can see the tree is now being put together in the living room....we usually have Amy with her little elves to decorate the tree but I have a feeling we may have to do it ourselves this year...b******* Covid!!

Lets hope the news of vaccines on their way will mean life may return to nearer normality some time soon eh?

That's all from me for today.  I hope you will all share your smiles by linking up below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Happy 600th WOYWW to one and all.  It's really something to celebrate isn't it?  Julia has a lot to answer for and we have so much to thank her for.  It's brought so many like minded folk together and so many friendships have been formed because of it all......Well done Julia....we love you lots.

I am hoping to be able to link up on zoom for our virtual crop on Saturday so in readiness I have made my badge as requested by the Queen of Crop....

I guess you will all know who I am now :-)

I've had a busy week making special memories for my customers...

5 Memory bears and one Memory Elephant.  All have gone off to their new homes now so will be either bringing comfort to some or being wrapped up ready for Christmas.

I have also made a Christmas bear to go as a Christmas gift to the lucky winner over on my Sewing by Annie Facebook page...so if you would like to be in with a chance to win him click on the link and pop over to get your name in the draw.

What's on my desk today is...

The 3 shirts on the right are to make 2 more bears and another elephant for the customer that had the other 3 bears and elephant last week...she loved them so much that she's ordered more for other family members.

On the left of those is two more packs of blank cards because although I had made 60 I still needed more!!....oh happy days :-)

Well folks...I hope you all celebrate today and I am hoping to see you at the crop on Saturday....I will be the one wearing the badge above :-)

Stay well and happy and many many thanks for all that leave me such lovely comments each week....I really value your friendship.

Hugs,

Annie x