This week's smiles ....week 419

 Another week has flown by and there's been plenty to smile about.  My hubby has had his second Covid vaccine and I should be getting mine soon....that's got to be good news eh?  I had a fairly quiet start to my week with work but it's gone crazy again now so yesterday was a busy day all day and there is still sewing waiting for me to do today :-)

I had a visit from my big sister on Monday and we Facetimed Jan Appleton in south wales while she was here....it was so lovely to catch up with them both.  I had seen some Arteza painting pens on Jan's blog over the last few weeks and had every intention to buy myself a pack but as the saying goes...great minds think alike.....Jo had thought the same and came with a pack to share.  I had a little play with some but decided that to be able to use them properly I wanted a full pack of 48 to allow shading when using them and these arrived yesterday...

I can't wait to have a play with them....maybe over the long weekend?

The garden is bursting into bloom everywhere we look and that always makes me smile....bottom right is the patch of lily of the valley...they seem to have spread lots since last year and I can't wait for the flowers to come.

Our raised veg patch has been planted up and everything is growing....isn't nature wonderful?

We have beetroot, chard, lettuce, radish, carrots, peas and at the far end there's garlic and onions growing.  I love fresh veg.

That's pretty much all for this week. I'm not sure the sun is going to shine over the weekend but that's nothing new for a bank holiday and I'm sure we will make the best of what ever.  I hope you can all find something to make you smile and you will leave me a little message before linking to your own smile below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Hello all and happy Wednesday.  It's been a beautiful sunny week here this week but I've not had so many customers so have been able to enjoy some garden time.

On my desk today is two lined skirts needing shortening and a gents jacket that needs a seam repairing so nothing exciting to share with you really.

The one thing I will share is the gorgeous pair of Memory bears I made to go in the Memory boxes of two little boys when they go to their forever homes...

...the clothes used were special outfits bought for them by their Foster mum so they are two very special little bears.

I'm so lucky to share these special moments in the lives of so many people.

That's all from me for today.  I have lots more work coming in this week so hopefully by next week I will have more to share with you.  I really hope the sun shines for you too and you all have a creative week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 418

 It's been another lovely week here weather wise and doesn't that make a difference to how you feel?

It was our 39th Wedding anniversary at the weekend and, for the first time in 12 months or more, we were able to enjoy a Sunday lunch at one of our local pubs who had a marquee outside to make it safe....Hubby said his first pint tasted like nectar :-)

On Tuesday we had our little visitor and we managed to have a catch up with our friend in her back garden.  It was the first time that she had met Theo and he was a little star...he melted her heart by greeting her with a bunch of flowers :-)  On the way home he dozed off in the car....there really is nothing as gorgeous as a sleeping child is there?

On Wednesday morning our little fur baby looked like this....she was badly in need of a trim like so many of us.....she went off to the hairdressers and came back like this.....

....she really does look a different dog now and she loves it.  She has her stripes back now and looks much lighter.

That's all my smiles for this week.  Please leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and then link to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Happy Wednesday to one and all.  It's a different sort of desk I'm sharing today...

I enjoyed some 'me time' over the weekend doing some more watercolour painting and doodling.  I never like to leave things in an album so I've cut them out and mounted each one as cards...I'm sure you will all be surprised to see I have guillotines and promarkers ....I have all the gear..... as the saying goes :-)

I'm rather pleased with the results considering it's years since I did any painting....and I think the results rather surprised several of my family members so that put a big smile on my face.

That's it from me for today...I've no sewing to share with you as last week was filled with altering 3 wedding dresses and 2 bridesmaids dresses but I didn't take photos because I'm not allowed to share them sorry.  I will be making two special Memory bears today so hopefully I will have more photos I can share next week.

Thanks for calling by today.  If you leave me a little comment so I know you've called in I will pop over to yours as soon as I can.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 417

 Here we are at another Friday's catch up of the smiles from the last week....and there's been plenty to smile about thankfully.

Here's a quick round up of my family's smiles...

It was Lulu's 11th birthday at the weekend.  She's looking so grown up now [and even more like her mummy if that was possible :-)].  She's such a fun loving young lady and is really looking forward to starting at secondary this September.

Here's a photo from this week of the twins and Theo enjoying the fresh air together whilst on their Easter holidays from school.

Theo is becoming quite a little gardener now...he loves helping in their garden.

He really enjoys all sorts of crafting now and here he is making a hand puppet by sewing ....I have so many little helpers to train up to take over the business when I retire :-)

And finally for those that enjoy seeing the latest blooms from our garden here's my latest collage....just look at that blue sky in the top photo.  Not a cloud in the sky and thankfully now more snow [yet] even though it was rather frosty when we woke yesterday morning when I took the photos.

I hope you've all had plenty to smile about this week and will share your pics by linking up below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 It's been a week of different desks for me for this show and tell....

These were the two bears lying on my desk last week....now finished

And these two were the ones that had just arrived in a parcel....aren't they gorgeous with their little pockets and love hearts on their fronts?

They were for two sisters and were to be the same but different if you know what I mean :-)

I've kept seeing Jan's gorgeous watercolour painting over on her desk and every time I've seen it I've longed  to get my paints out to have a go.....it's been very much a case of I've got all the gear but it's been such a long time since I did any painting I'm still very much at the have a go stage.....but loving it :-)

I bought a new pen to put detail on my paintings and was rather pleased with my first [in years!] attempt....it can hopefully only get better.

My next desk was at the sewing machine where I made two more rather lovely Memory bears in memory of a much loved Nan and Grandad....I love that they are linked by the colour purple....one of my fav colours.

I then had to deep clean out my sewing room and damp dust all my surfaces ready for the opening up for fittings on Monday....I wouldn't want them seeing the state it gets into when no one is looking ;-)

And this is what it was being cleaned for....Monday morning saw my first Wedding dress fitting needing alterations for over 12 months....and it was soooooo lovely to get back to a little closer to the norm.  

Plus today I have another bride with two bridesmaids coming so wahoooooo  I'm one happy bunny.

I hope you will leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and as soon as I get a minute I will do my best to pop over to yours to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week416

 Here we are at another Friday catch up of the smiles from the last week....and there's been lots of them but sadly I've not taken photos of most.  We had sunshine over the Easter weekend so were able to enjoy catch ups in gardens with the family...Saturday we saw Michelle and co, Sunday we saw Mark and co and Monday we saw Amy and co....it's so lovely being able to spend a little time with each.   Then the weather changed and by Wednesday morning we were white over with snow.

I've had a busy week making more Memory cushion covers and Memory bears and I have already got two wedding fittings booked in for next week as I am allowed to have brides in for fittings from Monday....exciting times ahead.

I've popped out into the now thawed garden and snapped a few pics...

A few longer shots today so you can see the blossom on our two trees at the mo...they really are gorgeous.

Finally here's a few funnies I've found this week...

I hope they made you smile too and you will leave me a little comment before linking to your own smiles at the bottom.  Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we are at another Wednesday catch up with our creative friends all around the world by linking up over with Julia at The Stamping Ground.  I hope you have all enjoyed a slightly more relaxed Easter and have enjoyed at least a little sunshine.

I've managed a little me time and you will be pleased to see that my latest Luna Lapin friends have now been dressed....

Freya Fawn asked me to make her a sailor dress and I'm rather pleased with the results....So is Freya :-)

Foxy lady asked for a tie shoulder dress which was really easy to make and she was really thrilled with her dress.

I was then asked to make two memory cushion covers for one of my customers.  She explained how she wanted them to be with the sleeves to come across to tie at the front.   I did my best....they were both to be made from thick knitted cardigans so really not easy to sew and every cut edge had to be overlocked to stop the fraying.

The sleeves on this one were longer than the other one so easier to tie but both cardigans were very thick chunky knits so quite a challenge.

This is my desk this morning....I'm in the middle of making two gorgeous Memory bears to match the one I made a while back.  The first one was loved so much that my customer brought me the matching skirt to make two more for other family members. :-)

On my other desk is the parcel that arrived before Easter for me to make two more memory bears so as soon as I finish the other two this is what I will be doing today....I love keeping busy.....and always love my bear making.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today and will leave me a little comment so that I know you've called by.  I will do my best to call round to see what you're all doing as soon as I can.  Keep smiling and stay creative.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 415

 It's been an exciting week here at Sewing by Annie's because for years I have been writing my blog on an old laptop that has become so slow that I learnt how to be really patient but it took me hours to do what I wanted.  Wednesday evening I had this delivered...

It's sooooo fast and this is the first blog post I've written on it ....am I smiling?  You bet I am.  I love technology....of course it's taken a bit of setting up.  Michelle has helped and we have had lots of giggles.

During our fun day with Theo on Tuesday Theo was showing my how to do something on my iPad [because I was struggling!!] ... he might only be 4 and not at school until September but he's so clever on an iPad already.

Finally but by no means least.  Here is a collage of the latest smiles from our garden....there is so much coming into bloom out there and there really are smiles in every corner.

I just have to wish you all a very happy Easter...hoping the sun shines for you.

Now please leave me a little comment before you link to your smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x