This week's smiles....week 501

Hello all. It's Friday so, of course, it's time to look back at your week to find as many smiles as you can and to share them with your friends. It's been another busy week for me....and you know I'm happiest when I'm busy.

Last Friday night we went to watch Titanic The Musical at the theatre in Shrewsbury.  It was put on by Wigle and they might be amateurs but it was brillant....there are so many talented singers around Shrewsbury....and it was made even more special for  us because the twins were two of the children taking part.  Lexi was a first class passenger and Sam was third class but thankfully they both managed to get on a life boat when the ship sank.

Well done both...you have two very proud Grandparents :-)

Tuesday was a very special day for me.  We had lunch with my best friend and her hubby...I have known Dawn since we were 4 years old....that makes it over 60 years!!

We started school together then went to the same grammer school and even started our nursing training together....so I'm she knows me well and we both know secrets to never tell ;-)

Our garden is coming into life in every corner now so I walked round and snapped a few pics to share with you.....I love Spring and it really feels like it's just round the corner for us now.

Of course it wouldn't be Friday without a few funnies...and this week there is rather a lot but I decided we can never have too many and what one person finds funny another doesn't so I hope you can all find something to make you chuckle here.

Have a great week all.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Hello all and welcome to my Wednesday share of my desk and what's been going on here at Sewing by Annie's this week....and it's been a pretty good week for me...hopefully you too.

For those that didn't see the Memory bears I shared on Friday, these are the two very special bears I made for Lisca in memory of Graham, her lovely hubby.  They were made even more special to me when I saw Lisca had shared a photo of Graham wearing the clothes I made it out of over on her blog on Friday...here is a link for those wanting to see.

In between shortening the wedding dress and sewing her 28 buttons down the back and prom dress fittings etc I found time to make 6 zipped and lined makeup bags for The Harry Johnson trust.

I had a funeral on Monday morning and caught up with family members, as is the norm at these events, and several requested my details about my Memory bears while I was there.

My sister in law wanted to buy some bunting so was calling round after the funeral. I filled my cutting table with all the things I've now made for her to see.

Whilst it was all out on my table I had a customer for a dress fitting and seeing all I had made she asked if I had any peg bags...I haven't made any yet but I have sorted out some coat hangers to make her one....and will probably make a few more.

I counted up the money I've made so far and already have over £100 in my pot so I'm thrilled to bits. I've now made..

• Reversible bags
• Fabric boxes
• Aprons
• Bunting
• Makeup bags
• Glasses cases
• Popper purses
• Key rings
• Pin cushions

and there will soon be peg bags to add to the list :-)

My hanging rail has a wedding dress in it's bag, a dress belonging to the Mother of the Bride and a Sage green Prom dress to alter plus I have 2 Memory bear labels to remake [because a little dog got hold of the last two!!]...and of course I have peg bags to make :-)

As you can see, I'm being kept busy and loving it.

If you leave me a little message so I know you've called by I will do my best to pay you a return visit ASAP.  Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 500

 Another week and lots more smiles....thankfully.  I hope you've all had a week filled with smiles too.  I have lots of photos to share with you this week so I will make a start.

We had another walk around Attingham Park at the weekend and what a difference a couple of weeks makes....what was a hint of white the last time we went is now a beautiful blanket of white.

My boys went to watch Shrewsbury town play football on Saturday ...I love this photo of Mark and Stephen.  The men have decided Stephen should go every week because they always win when he goes :-)

Little Louie is growing so quickly.  He thought it was funny that he could stand up under our kitchen table and we all had a good giggle at him ordering his Chinese for tea off the menu.

I love how the sun has opened up this beautiful crocus in our garden and I even took a photo of our snowdrops using my phone but look how it came out.....

I'm not sure what happened but when you love rainbows like I do you you treasure happy errors like this one.

I normally keep the sharing of my Memory bears for a Wednesday but these two are rather special and it's far more appropriate that I share them here.  They are made in memory of Lisca's husband Graham and they were very special to make.

He was a lovely man and I felt very honoured to be asked to make them.  I really hope they bring lots of comfort to Lisca and her family.

Of course it wouldn't be a Friday without a few funnies...I hope you enjoy the ones I've found this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Another week has passed and I have more to share with you.  Last week I had the emotions of the perfect fitting wedding dress that I'm working on and this week there has been more emotions but different ones.

Firstly, I have more items I've made for the Harry Johnson trust to share with you.

Another batch of key rings....cos I've sold some of the last batch :-) 

I've made another couple of fabric boxes because I have already sold one of the last ones I made....and that has made me smile.

I found a pattern to make some aprons and made one and have 2 more half made.

My emotions came when I was asked to make this latest little Memory bear.  It is made in memory of a very special little girl who died aged 4 years using the gown she wore in intensive care.....I really hope it brings lots of comfort to her family.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will leave me a little message so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pay you a return visit.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 499

 Happy Friday everyone.  I hope you have all had a good week and have had lots to smile about.  Please share your smiles by linking up at the bottom of the page.

It's been a good week here at Sewing by Annie's.  I've had a steady flow of customers and have been kept busy with my sewing jobs. 

 My biggest achievement of my week was working on a wedding dress....I had taken on major work to alter the shape of the bodice and to remove unwanted pleats and folds. The bride had bought her dress having been told that the alterations could be done, only then to be told that the bridal suppliers alterations lady couldn't do what was wanted!!  She brought it to me to see what I could do and although I could see it was going to be a lot of tricky work it was def possible. Having spent an hour taking the dress apart whilst she was wearing the dress and repinning it how she wanted it to look I then had to work out how I was going to do it.  I have now spent 4 hours on it, and when the bride called in to collect the surplus fabric to be used to cover her buttons, she tried her dress on.....I'm honestly not sure who was the happiest.  The dress fitted to perfection....now I just need to shorten it when she has bought her wedding shoes and then to sew on the covered buttons as a feature down the back of the dress.  I've never taken on such difficult alterations before [and probably wont again] but I am sooooo thrilled with my achievement.

I'm not the only one pleased with my achievements this week.  Theo goes to a gymn club each week and this week he was given a certificate for his work on the floor and the rings....well done Theo.  I'm so proud of him.

Our little Milly never fails to make me smile.  Her coat is very long at the mo but as the better/warmer weather comes she will be getting her hair cut.  She had just had her bath and had had a good brush so is looking at her best so was happy to pose for a photo.

Now for the funnies.  I know they make you smile.

I hope you all have a lovely week with plenty to smile about.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we are at another Wednesday's catch up with all our creative friends around the world....my favourite day of the week  :-)

Since last Wednesday I've had a steady flow of customers and almost every one of them has collected their sewing when done but brought another job with them for me to do.  I've finished all those replacement zips in the factory trousers and have spent a couple of hours working on the wedding dress...it's a harder job than I first thought and can now see why the first alterations lady said she couldn't do what was needed. [I never say never and am determined to get it perfect ....I don't think I've ever seen a bride smile so much than when she came for her last fitting so I know all my effort is soooooo worth it].

On Friday we had a little incident in my sewing room when hoovering and clearing away at the end of a busy day.  When my hubby tried to pull out my cutting table unit to hoover up underneath the back of it collapsed and broke under the weight of all the fabric in the boxes [and the effort that was being put into pulling it out!!].  The unit had been made up with two older Expedit Ikea units plus one newer, and slightly smaller Kallax units with a table surface fixed to the top but it had broken and died. :-(

We had a good look at what was left of my cutting table and decided it was beyond repair so I finished work early and we drove to Ikea to buy 3 new Kallax cupboards to redesign it slightly to make my new cupboard rather stronger.  We spent Saturday building my new unit and I'm rather thrilled with the results...

The old cupboards were light oak coloured and the new white cupboard makes my room look so much lighter and it's now a lot easier to pull in and out when needed...I love it.

The other thing I have to show you this week it another pair of Memory bears I've made for one of my regular customers who lost her hubby in October....they are made from his favourite shirt and  jumper.

I hope you will leave me a little message so I know you've called in and I will do my best to call by to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 498

 Hello all and a very happy Friday to everyone.  It's been a busy one for me here at Sewing by Annie's but I'm not complaining [well, I'm not now I've finished the latest bag full of factory trousers :-) ]. Work has been very busy with a steady flow of customers bringing me their sewing and many of them have been ones that needed a chat and catch up too [cos it's not just a sewing business I run here lol.]   

Saturday we had our son, Mark and his two gorgeous boys here for a catch up and lunch then our son in law dropped Stephen off so that my hubby, Mark, Stephen and Theo could go to watch Shrewsbury Town play football.  Louie stayed with me until his mummy could pick him up and them Amy dropped Phoebe and Lulu off so all us girls could have a catch up before I had my afternoon of sewing with Phoebe and Lulu [photos on Wednesday's post].

Here's Stephen with his little cousin, Theo ready to watch the football.

Sunday, my hubby and I took Milly for a walk to see the snowdrops at Attingham Park...they are all coming out now but will be a better show by next week.

Tuesday morning we had a fun play time with Louie.....he's teething and was rather clingy with his Grandad but, as you can see, they did manage a nap together.  Louie is 9 months old now and wont be long before he starts walking.

Sam has been enjoying designing on his Ipad and really has a talent for it...this is his Grandad and their dog Reggie.  

It wouldn't be Friday without a few funnies...I really hope your find something to chuckle at.

Please leave me a little comment and then link to your own smiles at the bottom.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 What a different week I've had since last Wednesday....did I foolishly mention how quiet I'd been?

I made a set of heart key rings.....and have already sold several key rings.

A set of pretty little pin cushions.  I was really enjoying creative sewing but then.....

I've had another bin bag filled with factory trousers needing new zips and thanks to my assistants we have now removed all the old zips, put them back in the bin bag and stashed them away in the spare room to allow space for...

My first Memory bears of 2023....they were made for a 32 year old man in memory of his young wife who died far too soon...the red check was the dress she wore when he proposed to her so holds very special memories for him and I hope they will bring him lots of comfort.....I get to know so many lovely people in my job.

I have also .....

• had a wedding dress fitting and made a start at the complicated work I have to do to make it perfect for her.
• 3 pair of jeans to shorten
• a concealed zip to restitch in a lined skirt
• a lined skirt to shorten and
• a skirt to take in for Phoebe

Saturday afternoon saw me enjoying an afternoon of sewing with Phoebe and Lulu.....they love to learn new techniques and can confidently use any of my sewing machines now.  They really loved using the machine embroidery stitches to edge their key rings and were both really proud of their finished items....as was I :-)

So, as you can see it's been a busy busy busy week for me....and it's not stopped yet as I still have all the zips to put in the factory trousers, the major work to do on ther wedding dress and have a steady flow of customers booked in for the rest of my week.....so I may be a tad busy today 😂😂😂😂

I'm sure there will be times when I need a coffee break so will do my best to visit a few blogs then but please be patient with me.

Hugs,

Annie x