WOYWW....

 Hello all.  Here we are at the best day of the week when we link up with our creative friends all around the world.  If you'd like to join in too then click on the link and pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed to find out more details...You'd be made very welcome.

I've had a steady flow of customers this week and in between my sewing jobs I've been working on the special activity quilt.

I've cut out the 9 bright squares and have found some sensory toys to attach to some of the squares...Ive just not decided which yet.

I made a miniature teddy and made a pocket for him to sit in.

I sourced a safe mirror....an A4 sheet that could be cut and stitched through....and made a square with it in the middle.

I cut out lengths of different pink ribbons to make the petals on a flower square....I may stitch a smily face on the front.

That's all from me for today and next week I will be MIA because we are going on holiday ....We just may be catching up with someone you know so I'm sure there will be updates when we get back.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Did this fool say something about work being quiet?  Since we were here last week everyone came out of the woodwork :-)

My sewing rail has filled and emptied and filled again.

I've had 6 bridesmaids  here for fittings...3 in the lovely champage colour.  One of them has already been collected.  I've had several pair of trousers to shorten and the shirt on the left is a gents shirt that he wants an extra 6" adding to the bottom...he's brought the fabric so I will probably be doing that today.....another challenge.

I did fittings on three bridesmaids dresses in this lovely lemon colour and I've shortened them all and they are now waiting in their boxes to be collected today....they are stretchy but wont crease so not the easiest to work on.

Both the champagne and the lemon dresses are all in different styles to suit each of the bridesmaids and they looked really lovely.

The only other thing that's on my desk today is a project basket.  I'm making a special lap quilt using bright colours for a special young lady.

I'm hoping to add pockets with hidden 'little friends' and noisy toys to stimulate her.....watch this space.

That's all from me for this week.  I hope you've all had a lovely week and are coping with the heat.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Hi all It's been a productive sort of week for me here at Sewing by Annie's.  I've had several customers and have done all their sewing and along side that I have....

Made two lined activity play mats that will gather up to use for storage of lego etc

Crocheted some little worry worms...and have other stocking fillers in mind to make too.

Appliqued the boys names on new stockings.

Appliqued their names on two santa sacks.

Made them each a book cushion with their names on the fronts....they are just waiting for a book for each of the pockets.

I then bond a webbed the things to go on two cuddly blankets for the boys...I'm just waiting for the fleece to come to back them with.

All in all it's been a lovely week making special memories.  I've enjoyed being creative.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Well, what a hive of industry it's been here at Sewing by Annie's this week.  It's all or nothing when it comes to customers at the mo and having had no customers for weeks it was a bit of a shock to the system to have 3 Memory bears to make, two pair of jeans to shorten and a Nursing Sister's dress to shorten in just two days at the end of last week!  So without more a do here's my desks today.....

On my computer desk are the three little Memory bears waiting to be collected....in fact since this photo was taken the little navy one at the back [made out of a Nursing Sister's uniform dress on her retirement] has now been posted to Yorkshire .....that's another area of the country I've reached with them now :-)

The one front left is a school bear made out of an old school uniform for a little girl moving to a new school and the one front right is made from tiny babygros to go in a little girl's memory box with her when she moves from her foster home to her new forever home.....such a lovely idea and it makes this one very special.

Of course with me being so busy the playmat is slow going [but there's no rush].  It now has a flower garden, a vegetable garden, a pond, a ploughed field with little bales of hay in one corner and I'm now working on a den for Peter Rabbit in the far right corner with a few bushes in front of it so he can hide from Mr McGregor. :-)

I'm really enjoying creating and am searching round my sewing room for ideas of what to do next. :-)

Not my desk but I thought you'd like to see what Phoebe and Lulu have been sewing with their mummy.....they have certainly caught the sewing bug. :-)

This is Phoebe's unicorn and....

....this is Lulu's sock monkey.  They are both made from kits but arent they gorgeous?  It really thrills me to see them sewing[....even if their mummy isn't a very keen sewer she can do it!....I know cos she had a good teacher :-) ].

That's all I have to share with you this week but before I go I just want to wish Lulu a very happy 9th birthday today.  I hope you have just the best birthday ever...where have those 9 years gone?

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Well folks, it's a desk with a difference from me this week...so far....so I will show you what I'm up to....

I've been white lining roads.

Ploughing fields....as you do!

This morning I'm planning a garden....flowers and vegetables of course :-)

What am I up to?... 

....I'm in the process of making a play mat for the Grandchildren for when they come to Nanny Annie's.

Jo knit some Peter Rabbit characters for Theo to play with so of course they need Mr McGregor's garden to play on....as they say watch this space.  I hope to be able to show you a pic of the finished mat by next week but we will see just how busy I get.  I am expecting at least 3 memory bears to make before the end of the week so this little project will be fitting in and around paid sewing :-)

If you leave me a little message to say you've been 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 239

Well! These weeks sure do fly by don't they?  It only seems like 5 mins since I was sat here uploading pics for last week's smiles.  Many thanks to all who joined in the fun last week.  I hope you all enjoy a little time each week focusing on the smiles you've had.....I know it does me good.  So I will get straight to my smiles for this week....and there have been many.

Birthday celebrations continue in our family this week.  Little Theo's mummy, Gina and these two all have their birthdays on the same day so, as you can imagine, there has been lots to celebrate.

It really only seems like 5 mins since Sam and Lexi arrived in the world but yes, as you can see on their cards, they are now 6!!  Their birthday party is at the weekend and I'm on duty to make the teas and coffees there....it's my excuse for hiding in the kitchen because they have the Animal man coming bringing snakes and other exotic animals for the children to handle!! [I really don't like snakes but I'm sure the children will have fun!!].

Phoebe and Lulu started Brownies this week and here they are showing me their new Brownie outfits....they have changed a lot since I went....just a few years ago!!

They have already got their first badge to sew on their hoodies [so I guess Nanny Annie will be sewing those on soon]....it was their First aid badge and Lulu even got the special award for being the best at putting someone in the recovery position so I'm really proud of them both.

Gina sent me this pic of Theo playing on the activity mat I made him for his birthday....as you can see he loves it so that really made me smile.

My other smiles are of this bundle of mischief.  It was suggested by one of my blog followers that I would always find a way of repairing her favourite 'Little brown dog' toy and that's just what I have done this week.  I made a pattern from her original toy and made a lovely brown 'cover' to go over it.  Alas within 5 mins she had chewed a hole in it as the fabric wasn't very strong so I made another one in denim.  As you can see she is really pleased with the now 'Little blue dog' and I have kept the paper pattern I made because I have a feeling I may be making more as she chews her way through each one!!

She has also been modelling my latest range of Doggy bandanas for me and her photo is now on the wrapping of each one I've made.....fame at last eh?

That's my smiles for this week.  I hope I have found something to make you smile too and you will leave me a little message before linking up to your own smiles below.  Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

There's rather a lot been going on my desk here at Sewing by Annie's this week so I'm just going to run through it in pic for you now...

As many of you will know we celebrated little Theo's birthday on Sunday afternoon [he's actually 1 tomorrow but his mummy has now started back to work so we celebrated early].

Here's the bunting I made decking the hall....I had many lovely comments made about it too.  

It was a Pater rabbit themed messy play party....more pics to come on my Friday smile post at the end of the week.  A wonderful time was had by all and I just know many of you will be impressed with the cake his mummy made for him so it's well worth calling in to check it out.

Here's the play mat / bag I made for him...there is a draw string going around the edge to make a bag with it so it can hold some of his toys.

I appliqued two little vests for him to get messy in at the party....cute eh?

This week over on my Facebook page I've got a special offer on my Memory bears....you get 10% off if you order and get the items of clothing to me before this Friday at 5pm.  When my customers call in I need to be able to show them the sort of things I make so I have put pics of the 50!! bears I have made all together on 4 sheets to have them to hand.....impressive eh?

These are two of my latest bears I've made and.....

......here's the next one in the making....This one was posted to me so she didn't miss out on my special offer.......Plus I am expecting at least another 6 to arrive this week!!

As they say....it seemed like a good idea at the time  :-)

I really love making my bears and especially the fact that each one is different and hold special memories for each customer.

Just in case you think that's all I've been doing this week.....I've also shortened three layers on the beautiful pale peach bridesmaid's dress and the hems on the 3 nurses dress uniforms hanging on my rail.....I wouldn't want you to think I've been slacking hehehe.

Thanks for calling by.  I will do my best to call by at yours but some idiot has offered money off on my Memory bears for the week and I am going to be rather busy  :-) :-)

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

I'm determined to keep life 'normal'....well as normal as it is ever here  :-)

Firstly a quick update for all my wonderful blogging friends that have kept me going through the worst week of my life....and yes Donna the rock does crumble at times but with all the wonderful support I have I know there will be better times ahead so we just have to 'do what needs doing at the time' and 'hang in there'.  

When we called to see M last night she was still on the labour ward where they could keep a close eye on her because she had become very light sensitive and had another headache but things seemed to be settling down again and they were planning to move her back out onto the main maternity ward later....I've not heard from them this morning as yet.  They have told her that there has not been another known case like hers in the whole of the country and the only written cases they can find are American so although I have always said she was one in a million it seems now the percentage is actually much higher!  :-)

We took a 'put you up' bed in with us last night so B could be a little more comfy as the one they gave him was awful and of course he needs his sleep too......If you haven't seen the pics then scroll down for your awwwww moment.

Now as to what is on my desk today.....

This is a play mat I am making for the new babes to use while they are here at Nanny's.  I've quilted it and added little ribbon loops to attach toys to....now all I need to do is add a few more toys  :-)

These are two wonderful kits to make a Noah's Ark and an ABC Play Bag that my very special friend Jo from Jozarty sent me to make for the twinnies.  They are going to be really colourful and so much fun to make but I need to feel a little more creative first.

Thank you sooooo much Jo. x

Well folks that all from me today.....bet a few of you are surprised I'm here at all  :-)  It will take a little more time yet til I feel 'normal' [as if I ever was!] but we will get there.  Huge hugs to all that have left me comments and for those that have been praying for us...it really is working so please keep up the good work.

Hugs,

Annie x