This week's smiles....week 453

 I'm here to share a few smiles with you even though to be honest I'm not feeling much like smiling.  I've got a Winter bug and have been coughing and running high temps since Boxing day. I wasn't here last week because we were making memories with our lovely family so I felt that, even if I did nothing else I must come to add the link for everyone else today.

I do have a few quick pics to share with you...

This is my baby boy all dressed up ready for his work's Christmas party.....Father Christmas offered to carry him round for the night :-)

One of my favourite Christmas presents was this amazing jigsaw made from the photo of all my Grandchildren at Theo's birthday party....I love it.

This really made me smile.....Jo gave me this amaryllis before Christmas.  It was one of two she bought and the one she kept has 2 huge flower stalks. Mine had only produced several scabby leaves so Jo offered to take it back and swap it. Whilst we were enjoying family times on Christmas eve and Christmas day this little shoot had sprung up....I think it had heard it was destined for the scrap pile....its now much bigger and is obviously making up for lost time.

Finally, but by no means least, is my pic of the little cardy I've knitted for Theo's new little brother when he arrives.  I imagine many of you will know that my arthritic hands are often too painful to knit so this has been very slow progress but what an achievenent eh?  I'm so chuffed I managed to finish it.

That's me for this week....I'm really hoping this bug moves on soon so I feel rather more like blogging next week.  I actually sat in my chair to sleep last night as lying down I couldn't stop coughing.

A very Happy and healthy new year to you all.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Well that's all come round very fast and here we are catching up with the WOYWW gang for the last time before the big day.  I've got a few pics to share with you quickly...

These are the last 2 sets of Memory bears/rabbits I've made in time for Christmas.

The pink ones were made from a Grandma's favourite cardigan.....

....and these two were made from a Grandad's coat and wooly hat....it's surprising what you can do when you try.

They were all made from clothes that belonged to loved ones who were lost in the last year and each family member can now have a little reminder of them on Christmas day.

Catriona sent me the pattern to make a different style of face mask and they are the most comfy ones I've made so, as we will be needing masks for a long time yet, I've made us a few .....one to wash, one to wear and one spare each.

Finally, I've found time to marzipan and ice the Christmas cake and enjoyed a special few hours in front of the telly to make this pretty new Christmas fairy for the top of our tree.

There been lots of time spent with the special little people in our family and there's plans to make more memories too [Covid allowing] so I will just say that I wont be blogging now until next Wednesday [No Friday post this week] and I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2022.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles ....week 452

Happy Friday all.  It's been another really busy week for me with sewing as many seem to have left their orders to last minute but I've manage to keep up to date and hopefully I won't be getting many more requests before Christmas now.....hopefully I will get a little time to marzipan and ice my drunken Christmas cake [it's been having regular tipples] that Jo baked for me and might even find time to make a few pince pies too.

On Saturday I was treated to lunch out and a fun Kinkiglass workshop with Amy and the two girls.....we had a great time and hopefully will be able to hang the results on the tree once they are fired....I made a robin :-)

Amy and the girls were wearing their Christmas jumpers so I put my Christmas face mask on for the photo :-)

Doddy dug up the last of our beetroot this week and whilst I was busy sewing he then made it into beetroot chutney...we make a great team and he made 6 jars of really yummy chutney....yes there's only 4 here because we have sampled the one jar and another one has gone to Shell and family.

Catriona sent me the pattern to make a different style of face masks this week and, as it looks as though we are going to be wearing masks for a long time yet, I thought I'd give it a go and make us one each....they really do seem to be the most comfy of masks so I may make us a couple more to wash and wear. 

 Thanks Catriona xxx

I hope you have enjoyed my smiles for this week and will share yours by linking them below....we can never have too many smiles.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 There's not many more Wednesday now before Christmas and I've only today and 4 more days to work before I can have a well earned rest.....everyone seems to want sewing done at the last minute so I will be head down sewing all day today.

I have now done the fronts of 6 more Advent calendars for next year....they just need their wadding, backing and hangers now so I will probably finish then off after Christmas.

Some have flat pockets and some have pleated pockets and the one in the bottom right has pleated pockets with flaps over the top....so a different amount of work for each one but I really enjoyed making them all.

I'm enjoying a week of making more Memory bears.

These are the first set made from a Mum's fleece dressing gown so they are soft and cuddly.

I'm making two more from a Grandma's favourite pink cardigan and I have another Memory bear and a rabbit arriving this morning.

The other thing I plan to make is a couple of new masks using a pattern Catriona emailed to me.....if only I can get my customers sewing finished first of course.

That's all from me for today.  I will do my best to visit all I can in between my seing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 451

 Here we are at another round up of smiles for the week.  It really does me good to focus on the smiles I've had during the week...it's like a therapy when life gets difficult.  I know there are many who like to read the happy posts and several like to share their smiles so why not join in too?  Everyone is welcome.  Lets all do our bit to make the world a happier place to be.

The garden outside is all looking rather shabby now.  The frost has taken the flowers and many of the leaves have now dropped so I thought I'd share my orchids with you. The top two little pots have new little plants growing that I took off the pink one....and I've already given two away.  On the left you can see I have another flower shoot growing and the other plants keep giving with gorgeous blooms....I love them.

I've been given these gorgeous flowers this week and they are just too pretty to not share them with you all....hope they make you smile too.

Theo enjoyed a trip with his mum and dad to fetch their Christmas tree this week.  They went to a local place that allows you to choose your tree and actually cut it down yourself...and what fun they had.

I really love the photo of Mark lifting him up to put the star on the top of their tree and the gorgeous family photo of them all together.

I hope you have all enjoyed my smiles and will leave me a little comment so I know you've called in and will then link your smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we at another Wednesday on the countdown to Christmas.  This is what is on my desk today...

I have cut out 5 new Advent calendars ready to make up for next year....yes, I like to get ahead of myself and have them ready.  The ones I made for this year sold within an hour of going on my Sewing by Annie Facebook page. :-)

The other thing I have to show you is this very old industrial sewing machine we have bought to do the factory trousers on because my domestic machines really don't like sewing through some of the waistbands [ and I have tried them all!!] and I don't plan to break my best machines.....even though I did managed to do 45 pairs in just two days this week!!

It's very old and we have given it a good clean and service and plan to replace some of the tired parts to give it a new life.  I've managed to thread it up and adjust it to sew with ordinary threads...it had previously been used for upholstery.

The other desk I'm sharing today is this little hive of industry... Amy's three have spend a day playing on their sewing machine making their Christmas cards and a lovely 3 picture frame at the weekend....It really makes my heart sing to see them all enjoying their sewing machine like this.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and if you leave me a little comment 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 ....week 450

 This is the 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' post.  My Christmas cards are all made and now posted and everywhere is beginning to look festive so thos are the photos I'm sharing with you today...

Amy has always been the one of our three that has loved Christmas the most in our family and now she is spreading the love of it to her family too.  The Christmas trees [yes, more than one of course] are going up around their house and they love to make the most of all the Christmas events that they can.

Of course their two dogs like to join in and pose for their photos too....they are such lovely dogs and never like to miss out.

Of course, last year Covid got in the way but this year as always my little elves like to come to Nanny Annie's to decorate the tree and, as you can see Theo joined them this year.....Phoebe had decorated the top of the tree [because she's the tallest of course] and Theo is just putting the last few bits on here.

Phoebe, Lulu and Stephen have decided that this year [Like Nanny Annie of course] that they would use their sewing machine to make their Christmas cards....This really made me smile.

Finally but by no means least this is a gorgeous painting that Lulu did for her mummy and daddy to go in the unit where they work....isnt it lovely?

That's all from me for this week.  I hope at least something has made you smile and you will now share your own smiles by linking up below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we are at another Wednesday catch up with our WOYWW freiends from around the world....my fav day of the week.  It's been another busy week for me and today I will be plouging through another pile of factory trousers to put new zips in....not my favourite job but the funds will go towards Christmas and I have enough of jobs I love doing to balance it all out thankfully.

On my desk today is the last 4 Christmas cards I have left...they are all made and posted now so I can move onto other things.

The pile of fabrics at the back are 5 more advent calendars to make ready for next year....if you saw my post on Wednesday you will have seen that I will need to make at least one by then :-)....exciting times.  

I try to make a few each year for others that don't sew to make memories with the little people in their lives and this year I sold the 3 I'd got within an hour of putting them on my Sewing by Annie Facebook page.

There is also a teddy cut out to make for my Christmas gift draw over on my Facebook page...I do this every year as a thank you for my followers so keep a look out if you'd like to get your name in the draw.

I'm doing a bit of knitting....it's slow progress as I can only do it when my arthritis allows but I'm loving the colours and there's no rush.

The other thing I can now share with you is the baby blanket I'm crochetting with my new hooks.  Every row or two is a different pattern and I love the way the colours are working together.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will leave me a little comment so I know you've called in.  I will do my best to pay you a return visit in between my sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 449

 Another week has passed and, of course, I have found lots to make me smile.

It was a week filled with excitement for our little Granddaughter Lexi.  She has been in Elf on the main stage at Shrewbury Theatre.  It was the first time on the main stage and she was brilliant in it....very proud Nanny Annie moments......and yes there was more that a tear or two.

I'm so excited to be able to now share some wonderful news with you [I've been given permission].  Our son Mark and his wife Gina are expecting a little brother for Theo.

There have been many weeks of worrying/waiting but Gina had a scan this week and the consultant yesterday confirmed that all is well and it's a little boy due in April....I can't wait.

You may have seen on Wednesday that I returned the new sewing machine and replaced it for a better one because the first one failed to do the jobs I needed it for. 

While we at the sewing machine shop my hubby asked about my old machine, how much it would cost to have it fixed and what the E1 Error message actually meant.  He said it could be serious or possibly it could be something as simple as a new fuse but that it was a difficult thing to replace because of it's location. 

Of course there was nothing to lose so Hubby took it apart [with a little assistance from Mark] and replaced the fuse......hey presto!! It's mended....I'm so very proud of him/them.

Finally keeping in mind that we may be getting some snow soon I thought I'd share this funny I saw on Facebook.

It made me chuckle.

Please leave me a little message so I know you've called by and then share your smiles by linking up below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Welcome to the mad house....it's been crazily busy here over the last week but I managed to get on top of it all thankfully.  The 49 zips are now replaced in all those trousers....and there's another 36 coming when they collect these ones :-)

The very delayed parcel that arrived last Tuesday night contained a fluffly dressing gown which I hade these 4 gorgeous Memory bears from and I'm pleased to say that they have now arrived safely via a courier with their new owner [I wasn't going to risk the postal service with them!!]

The customer I made the 5 memory bears you saw last week loved them so much she wanted another one making....I do love it when this happens.

Over the week I tried my new sewing machine out and found it wouldn't do any of the jobs I needed it for so yesterday we returned it back to the dealer, tried out and tested another machine while we were there and bought a better one to meet my needs.  It meant paying a bit more for it but they offered us a good deal so it was too good to miss.

In my spare time [lol lol lol]  I have also finished the 3 batches of Christmas cards I had been making....just another 20 to go now with the next design.

I struggle to write my Christmas cards by hand because of my arthritis so I add inserts but I do love to make them all....these are all appliqued, machine embroidered and embellished then the toppers are machined onto the cards.

So folks that's all from me for today.  I did call round on all I could last week but was unable to leave comments on some from my phone so sorry for that.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 448

 What a crazy week it's been here at Sewing by Annie's.  It never fails to amaze me how one week I wont see a single customer then the next week I get customers that I haven't seen for years along with new contracts and Memory bears galore....well this week has been one of those weeks.  You know I like to be kept busy but there just aren't enough hours in each day this week.....I'm sooooo glad I feel better now.

So far since last Friday I have...

• Made 10 Memory bears
• Shortened 2 pair trousers
• Let out the waist and seat of 5 pair of trousers for a 92yr old gent
• Shortened 2 nurse's dresses
• Repaired the seams on two factory jackets
• Replaced 20 of the 50 pairs of factory trousers that I have to do.....just another 30 to go....oh and I have 4 more pair of trousers needing shortening!!

I'm buzzing as you can imagine and loving every minute of it. 

I have a few pics to share with you now...

My darling hubby has sat along side me and has taken some of the old zips out of the trousers....we make such a great team....and I really do appreciate his help.

I love him to bits.

Theo has started going to a local football club on a Saturday and on his first week he was awarded player of the week.....He was a little shy and nervous to start with and by the end of the session he was joining in and even tackling his own players!....I guess the trophy was to encourage him and hopefully he will learn which players to tackle soon :-)

Finally but by no means least I am sharing the stunning Mahonia we have growing in our garden.  It's the very best it's ever been and there seem so many blooms on it at the mo....and the insects are loving it still.

Hope you've all had a great week and have lots of smiles to share with us....the more the merrier.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Hello all.  What a week it's been here at Sewing by Annie's.  I will try to update you quickly in pics ...

Whilst I was doing the free machine embroidery on my Christmas cards last Wednesday my Janome packed in [It was an electronic error so was pretty terminal sadly...I'd had it a long time and used it lots so it owed me nothing]....doesn't it always happen when your busy?  As I have two other clever machines I only needed one for basic sewing [and for use by the Grandchildren of course] so we ordered a new one and hey presto! this little beauty arrived Thursday morning at 8.30....brilliant service eh?

Shell dropped by with Sam with some Harry Potter fat quarters with a request for a length of 15 flag bunting for Sam's bedroom so I ran this up in my spare time [what spare time I hear you say lol].

The first of my Memory bears from this week was made in Memory of a much loved mum using 3 of her favourites tops.

Sadly the parcel that was coming from Swansea still hasn't arrived.  It will just be a dressing gown to the post office but meant so much more to my customer so I'm really sad to think that it has got lost in the post.

UPDATE...The parcel arrived at 7.30 last night :-) :-)

The next batch of Memory bears I've made this week were made in memory of a Dad that died too soon and was made from his dressing gown....I really hope it brings lots of comfort to his family.

My desk today looks like this.....It's rather more like a sweat shop this week with two huge bin bags full of factory white trousers needing new zips.  I've got 50 in total and I'm making my way through them steadily.

On top of all that I have also...

• Shortened 2 pair of trousers
• Let out the waist and seat on 5 pair of trousers
• Shortened 2 nurses dresses and
• Shortened a post frock

It might surprise you to know that I have done all the machine embroidery on my Christmas cards but they wont get the finishing touches done any time soon.  It really has been a cracking week and although it's all or nothing here I love to be kept busy so am more than happy to take the work when I can get it.  I have 4 gents trousers arriving needing shortening today and have a bridesmaid's dress booked in for a fitting so there will be little time for getting up to any mischief.

Hope you're all well and happy and I promise I will do my best to call by to see what you've been up to this week in between my sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 447

 Here we are at another round up of the week's smiles.  It's been a busy week for me making my Christmas cards....this is because I've had few customers and I like to make the best of every day.  Saying that I have 6 Memory bears coming today and a string of Harry Potter to make [all cut out ready] and I have also been asked to replace zips in work trousers for the company my hubby used to work for [they have a back log of these needing doing and now have 50 pairs to do so I will be kept busy for a day or two].

We both went to a walk in centre for our Covid boosters on Wednesday and have also got appointments booked at a local chemist for our Flu jabs so we should survive the Winter then hopefully :-)

I have just a couple of photo collages to share with you today....

This is one Amy does of each of her children on their birthdays each year and this was Phoebe's 13th birthday one.  It really only seems like 5 minutes since I had the very emotional phone call in the middle of the night to tell me she had been born....now she is taller than me [that doesn't take a lot of beating!] and wears size 6 shoes!!....and she really is a beautiful girl inside and out.

Amy's black lab went to the vets this week to be Neutered ...the top photo is her coming home still a little drowsy with her vest on to protect her stitches.

The bottom one was yesterday....she is already recovering well and played Houdini in the night and managed to get her vest off!!

That's all my photos for this week.  I hope you have lots to smile about and will share your smiles by linking up below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 It's Wednesday and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Sewing by Annie's....

I've been working on 3 different designs for my Christmas cards...

There's been lots of ironing fabric onto bond-a web, drawing on my designs and then fussy cutting it all out.

These will be reindeers when they grow up.

These will be candles and holly when they are finished.

And these will be patchworked Christmas trees when they are finished.

I've had a quiet week with sewing so I've been making the best of my time with Christmas card making.  

The parcel coming from Swansea that was posted last Monday with clothes to make 3 Memory bears in it still hasn't arrived....I really hope it arrives eventually as clothes from a loved family member are so special.

As you can see I've had a little helper in my sewing room.  Milly is so funny when I pull out one of my boxes full of materials she likes to climb on top....she's always done this since she was a puppy.  I think she thinks she's helping :-)

That's all from me for today.  I really hope you are alll keeping well and filling your days with things to make you smile.

Hugs,

Annie x