This week's smiles....week 393

 It's been another week of smiles for me and I hope for you too.

It was Lexi and Sam's 13th birthdays on the 20th and it was Gina's birthday too so we have had lots to celebrate. We all joined up for coffee and birthday cake on Friday evening before we left to go to the theatre.

Lexi is going from strength to strength with her dancing and she will now be performing in Liverpool, Birmingham and even at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool...we are so very proud of her.

I have watched Neighbours since it first started and as Toadie [Ryan Maloney] has now left and is touring England we decided to go to see him at Theatre Severn.  We enjoyed our evening although we didn't know what to expect....there was laughter, tears and plenty to think about.

We had a fun day with little Louie on Thursday.....give a child a box and they will happily play all day....it was a house, a tunnel and a slide to name but a few.....and the potty training is going well too.  :-) :-)

Louie is such a little character, as you can see here.  He's at a diddi dance group.  :-) :-)

I have lots of funnies to share this week so I'm sure you will find something to make you smile.  I hope you will leave me a little message before linking up to you own smiles below.

Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Hi all.  It may be early in the year for some but, because I usually get busy leading up to Christmas, I am making a start with a few Christmas makes so that's what is on my desk today...

As most of you will know, each year I make something for each of my grandchildren to hang on their Christmas tree so I got my felt box out and made a start....I decided to make several different designs so they could choose.

Here they are...with a few stitches, beads, bows, wadding, a ribbon hanger and backing.  I have a few more designs in mind and all that are left will go to the charity I support.

That's all from me for now....I will be finding time to craft in between my sewing jobs.  I have a Memory bear to make this morning :-)

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 392

 It's been another busy week here at Sewing by Annie's.  I've tackled tricky sewing jobs and been kept busy sewing for a local charity....it keeps me smiling :-) 

We look after Theo and Louie each Thursday and, after dropping Theo at school, we bring Louie to ours for the day.  He is growing up so fast and we how have new challenges....

...he's out of nappies now so it's a case of trying to catch everything in the potty :-)

He's doing very well but 'forgets' when he's busy so need little reminders....and a 'treat' when he does a wee in the potty :-) ....just look at the concentration on that little face :-)

Mark took the boys for a bike ride at the weekend [Theo had a new bike for his birthday]....sadly Mark had a flat tyre on his bike and had to walk home, pushing his bike with Louie on his shoulders.

They do look to be enjoying a boys day out together don't they?

Of course, I have found some funnies to share with you...I hope something here makes you smile.

Please link up at the bottom and share your smiles with us.  Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we are at another Wednesday link up with Sarah over at Sarah's Craft Shed where we all share a picture of what's on our desk this week and share a little of what has been going on in our worlds this week....I love seeing what everyone is busy with.

I have had another fairly busy week with customers [a nice steady flow] and have done some tricky sewing altering a Grandmother's dress and jacket for her Granddaughter's wedding....I love a challenge but the dress certainly didn't make life easy for me....but I was well chuffed with the results :-)

I was also asked if I could provide something to help raise funds for our local children's hospice.  It was a request from a young 16 year old who  has already raised over £36,000 in memory of her friend who died aged just 7 years so of course I was more than happy to help.  I have a strip quilt she can have and decided I would also make a rag doll for her to use as a name the doll [they are always lovely to help raise funds].

Here she is having had her hair sewn on....I love making the curly hair because I use a tool my dad made for me and it always brings back very happy memories.

Here she is in her new dress with matching pants, her new felt shoes and with the face sewn on.....I wonder what her name will be?

I have 100 names printed out on a sheet of paper so that names can be written on for £1/£2 a go so its an easy way to make money. :-)

That's all from me for this week so please leave me a little message if you've called in and I will do my best to pay you a return visit ASAP.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 391

 It's been another week filled with smiles here at Sewing by Annie's.

It was Theo's 8th birthday on the 7th and here are a couple of photos from his birthday celebrations....it appears the big boy enjoyed it as much as the little boys :-)

Here's the twins proudly showing me their latest certificates....Lexi for her dancing and Sam for his singing.  The give us so much to smile about...so very proud of them.

They will become teenagers on 20th of this month...where has that time gone?

I have found lots of funnies this week....this poem seems to have so many things right.  :-)

There seems a funny to suit everyone this week.. I hope I've left you smiling and you will now link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 It never fails to amaze me how different my weeks are....from one week when I work non stop to a week, like last week, when I didn't have one customer all week.  If only I knew in advance I could spread my sewing jobs out but I have to keep on top of what comes through my door just in case the next day/week is as busy.

I've had a steady flow of customers this week and I have met some really lovely people.  My customer from South Wales came up to collect her 4 bears and she loved them so much she asked me to make her another one.  The 4 bears were for her 4 children in memory of their older brother who was only 39 when he died of cancer. 

 

This extra bear is for the mum and I really hope it gives her a lot of comfort and he's now on his way to his new home in South Wales.

The next Memory Bear I made is this gorgeous little bear made from tiny babygros...in fact the one was so tiny I had to make a seam to join the head on the body to get the 8"x15" panel out of it.

This was made for a really lovely lady who, when she saw it, hugged me and burst into tears....I really love my job.

I've also taken the collar off a top, overlocked the edge and top stitched in into place....even I was impressed with the finished result [and so was my customer].

My next job was to shorten two long dresses for another new customer....no two days are the same.

Who knows what will come through my door next?

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 390

 Last week was soooooo busy here at Sewing by Annie's but, in contrast to that, I haven't had one customer this week so far.  If only I'd known I could have spaced my sewing out but I always like keep on top of it in case I get the same amount of customers each week.

I have used my time well and made myself a super fully lined denim bag.  It has a zipped pocket on the outside and another zipped one and two open pockets on the inside so was quite challenging to make....I didn't have a pattern :-)  I added a photo on my Wednesday post, below, if you'd like to see it.

On Sunday there was a Race for Life with 6000 motor bikes that raised lots of money for the local Air Ambulance.  We watched the race from a bridge over the A5....our son-in-law, Brent, took Sam on the back of his old Triumph Bonneville bike and I managed to snap a photo as they went below us...

Our new shed was erected on Tuesday...it was supposed to be done last week but when it arrived they noticed they had made the two ends round the wrong way so they had to remake them for us.

It looks really fab and by hubby is now enjoying fitting it out with shelving to organise it's contents onto.

Just after the new shed was completed we had a visit from a huge heron on the roof of the house behind us....I think he was checking if the new shed would be a good place to build his nest :-)

Our Morning Glory has new blooms every day,,,,sometimes 2/3, sometimes 5/6.  It makes me smile each morning to see how many will open up.  They are such a lovely blue.

Of course it wouldn't be Friday without a few funnies....I hope you find something here to make you smile.  Please leave me a little message and, if you can, then link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 I noticed when I put the two bears on last week that I had forgot to show you the first 4 I made for this customer....

These were made for a Dad/Grandad who died far too young and were made from his favourite clothes.....each item holding special memories.

The clothing for these 4 arrived Tuesday afternoon from South Wales....aren't they bright and cheery?

They are made in memory of my customer's son to give to his siblings and she is coming up from South Wales to collect them at the end of the week when she visits family members.

I think I was very missed while I was away on my holidays because since I started back on Tuesday morning I have.....

• Made 2 memory bears with personalised labels
• Removed belt straps from a dress.
• Shortened a pair of trousers
• Shortened 2 skirts
• Rehemmed 3 pair of trousers
• Replaced a concealed zip in a skirt
• Shortened 2 Nurses dresses
• Made the 4 memory bears [above]
• Repaired the underarm seams on a waterproof jacket
• Shortened 2 pair of nurse's trousers
• Shortened a pair of jeans
• Repaired a seam on an evening dress and
• Shortened a pair of jeans

This was all done last week and that also included a day sewing with the twins on Wednesday.....the customers kept coming but the jobs were put in a queue to do Thursday and Friday :-)

This week has started very differently as I have had no sewing to do for my customers as yet [I know I have some coming] so I have made the best of my break and....

I planned and cut out all these pieces.....I bought a new bag while I was away on holiday and fancied making another one from denim.

Hey presto....one new denim zipped bag with a zipped pocket on the front  and it's fully lined with two open pockets and another zipped pocket inside too......I'm really pleased with it and it has been made totally with fabrics/ zips/ webbing etc that I had in stock.....and that pleased me all the more.

That's all from me for this week.  I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will leave me a little message so I know you've called in and I will do my best to pay you a return visit as soon as I'm able.

Hugs,

Annie x