WOYWW....

I'm counting down the days now til Crop 10 [just 31 days!!!!] and getting rather excited.  Jo and I have been plotting and planning and I have a box or two of goodies ready for the big day.  We intend baking some cakes but if anyone wants to bring one with them they will be very welcome....can never have too much cake can we?  

We will be setting out tables for..

• Eating cake on
• Crafting on [who am I joking?]
• Bring and take....it anyone would like to bring any crafty item they no longer use to pass on to others then they are welcome but if by the time they leave it hasn't been taken by anyone then we ask you to take them home with you.
• Draw prizes....most people usually bring a little something to go in a draw [doesn't need to be anything crafty]
• Did I mention eating cake on?
• Food....there will be a cold finger food buffet [PARTY food....cos we have a lot to celebrate!]
• Tea / Coffee and cold drinks will be available throughout the day
• Oh and yes to eat cake on or have I said that before?

As you can see it's going to be a fun filled, cake eating, day.

Now to what you've come here to see....my desk.

I've sorted out some of my fat quarters and am working on a piece of crazy patchwork to make a book cover with.  I rather like how it's going together and plan to keep this as my go to project when I'm not so busy with customers.

This week business has really picked up since the Easter break and I've already 

• Shortened 2 hems on a bridesmaids dress and taken in the bodice to make it fit.
• Altered the bodice on a very posh frock.
• Shortened the sleeves on a suit jacket and shortened the trousers too for a gent to wear to his daughter's wedding. 
• Made this little stripey Memory bear in memory of a much loved mum.  It's had to be made before the funeral so I'm not sure if he wont be featuring there.

I already have orders for 9 more bears so I'm hoping they don't all arrive on the same day :-)

That's all from me for today.  Don't forget to add you name and numbers over at Julia's if you're coming to Crop 10....and if not then why not?  It's going to be a day not to miss.
Hugs,
Annie x

WOYWW.....

Hello all.  I've got lots to share with you today cos it's been a busy, productive week here at Sewing by Annie's so here goes....

Having, eventually, sold my industrial sewing machine I have now bought a new table to go where it stood in my sewing room and have set it up for my embellishing machine....it had stood pretty much neglected under it's dust cover since we moved houses and to be honest I had forgotten the pleasure had by using it.  I really enjoyed making these little note book covers.....a bit of dumfing [check R.side bar if you don't know what this is], some machine embroidery and a few beads and hey presto......

I then looked at my full to overflowing box of scrap fabrics and decided to use some of them.  I chose colours that toned/matched and made two pieces of crazy patchwork, embellished it with machine embroidery and....

....made two fabric book covers with it. 

These little owls were another idea I made as little gifts suitable for teachers at the end of the school year....They are little paperweights and used up more of my fabric scraps.....I do have rather a lot of fabric scraps don't I?

The rest of the week I have been making more of my Memory bears.  I feel very honoured helping grieving families by using special items of clothing to remember much loved members of their families. 

These three were made from a much loved husband and father's trousers, scarf and coat lining and the little red ear on each of them is a little fabric taken from a hat that was his all time favourite......it was very special for me to learn a little of the character of the man before I incorporated some into the three bears.

This one was made in memory of a much loved dad and it was by special request that I added the buttons on the front.....I rather like this effect don't you?  The pinstriped grey on the right side was from his trousers he had worn at his wedding.

There you go....sorry I took so long this week but I knew some of you would want to see what I've been up to.  Please leave me a little comment to let me know you've called by and I will do my best to pay you a return visit.  I do read all the blogs but am unable to leave comments on some....sorry.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 203

Here we are at another round up of the week's smiles.  Many thanks to those who joined in the fun last week.....I really do appreciate all the effort.

For those that read my blog on Wednesday you will know that it's been one of those week of trials for me....the repairs on my overlocker are now done but what was quoted to me as £89 ended up being £113!!! [another £50 and I could have bought a new machine!!] and several of my other machines seemed to have it in for me too....

• one refused to sew at one point
• kept breaking the thread 
• I broke 2 needles while shortening a pair of jeans and
•  it even chewed up the thread while I was winding a bobbin!!! 

so I did contemplate hybernation at one point. 😁😁😁😁

It's for weeks like this that focussing on the smiles works like a tonic and I have lots to smile about....I'm alive for one 😀😀😀😀😀 So here's a few of my smiles so you can share them too...

Phoebe, Lulu, Sam and Lexi have swimming lessons and they seem to have brought back the rule to wear swimming caps.  We used to have to wear them when I was a child and it really made me chuckle this week when they sent pics to me of them trying them out.  I remember just how tricky it was to get them in place and as you can see it takes a little practise to get it right.

We really enjoyed watching the animal cameras on Spy in the Wild on BBC1 last night and had a good chuckle at Milly's interest too.

For those that saw the fabrics I was playing with on Wednesday I am sharing the, now finished cover I've made for my new diary.  I really enjoyed creating the crazy patchwork and machine embroidered to quilt it before finishing the cover.....and of course I'm now smiling at it every time I use it.

I hope you've enjoyed my catch up of smiles and will leave me a little comment before linking your smiles too.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Here we are at another Wednesday catch up with our creative friends around the world who expose their crafting spaces to us and share the wonderful creations they have been up to in the last week....if you want to know more and maybe join in the fun [go on....you know you want to  😀] then pop over to The Stamping Ground to find out how....we are all very friendly and don't bite....often!

Monday was one of those days for me. 

• Whilst making a Dr's bag for the twins I very stupidly decided I could overlock all the seams inside but as I had added pockets there were lots of layers of fabric and I ended up with a fabric jam in my overlocker and knocked the timing out!!!....so said overlocker is now in being repaired....the bill will be £89!....an expensive lesson learnt [til the next time!].  
• On getting my machine ready to go in for repair I realised my hubby had fitted the flex to it down the back of my work surface for me so I couldn't get it out!....bless him he came home from work and pulled the cupboards out to get it for me.
• As I couldn't get the flex out I thought maybe one of my other machines might have the same fixings but when I came to look the flex off my embellisher was missing!.....said flex has now been found out in the shed! [don't ask me why? lol]
• As I no longer use my industrial sewing machine I put it on Ebay last week and it sold ....but the buyer has failed to pay for it so we have had to open up an unpaid case for it with Ebay!....as I said it was one of those days.......but I'm still smiling. 😀

So, what's on my desk today?.....

 I decided that I needed a lift to the spirits so I've done what makes me smile the most....I've tipped out all my yummiest fabrics [most still at the 'stroking only' stage] and have decided to make a cover for my new diary using crazy patchwork.  You can see I have been sorting a few into colour combinations to give me inspiration. Here is the selection I chose to use and a little crazy patchwork in the making....such scrummy colours don't you think?

Thanks for calling by today.  Please leave me a little message so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pay you a return visit soon.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

These weeks seem to be flying by don't they?....Or is it just me?

There is never a dull moment over here at Sewing by Annie's.

What with......

• minding the Grandees
• sewing for my ever growing numbers of customers
• planting out a few bedding plants and weeding in the garden
• planning and preparing for the building work to start
• time to do some creative sewing
• a shopping trip to Ikea
• dressmaking for myself
• oh and of course cooking, cleaning and general housework too :-)

Here's just a few quick pics to share with you...

My latest piece of crazy patchwork using some of my fav fabrics....well you do don't you when you're sewing for special friends :-)

My latest top I 've made for myself this week....I cut two tops out ages ago but had never found the time to run them up so more on the way some time soon :-)

My 'man that does' putting together my latest purchase from Ikea....it's a 6 drawer cupboard on casters [it's called an Alex] for my new sewing room.  I plan to put all my threads in here so it can be moved to which ever of my 6 machines I'm working at :-).....this girl has been making room plans for the sewing room.....getting soooooooo excited now :-)

That's all from me for this week folks.  Busy busy busy....but nothing new there :-)  Please leave me a little comment to say you've called in and I will pop over to yours as soon as I can.  I'm sorry to say that there are still some of the google+ blogs that I am unable to leave comments on but believe me I do read your blogs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles...week 121

Hello all.  What a wonderful week it's been.  

A lot of you will know what I mean by WOYWW and for those that don't you can find out all about it here at Julia's blog.  This week we all celebrated 6 years of blogging our creative spaces and linking up to folk from all over the world.  Thanks to Julia many Wednesdays of linking up our work desks with others has found many friendships being made....some meeting up in real life and others just enjoying the love and support our blogging friends give us in good times and bad from all corners of the world.  Each year we make ATCs [artist trading cards] to celebrate and swap them with our friends so each day this week my postman has brought me envelopes full of love.....every one of them making me smile.  I plan to snap pics of all I've been sent and will do a show and tell of them on Wednesday so please pop back then to see them.

Thanks to all who joined in our fun here last week again.  We all have so much to be thankful for and sharing our smiles makes the world a happier place doesn't it?  This week I'm featuring Elizabeth's post from last week.  The gorgeous flowers made me smile and her joke of the week really made me chuckle....thanks for sharing it Elizabeth.

This week has been half term holiday so I've not had Nanny school run duties [of course I have still seen them and enjoyed their company :-) ] so my smiles this week are a little different...

I've been playing with some of my favourite fabrics doing a bit more crazy patchwork....these only come out and get used for my special friends :-)

I really love the colours I've been working on here.

This is the next combination of colours I'm going to use for the next piece.  

I love sewing in my favourite colours.  How about you?  What are your favourites and do you tend to work with the colours you love or do you find it easy to work with other colours too?

This is another little project I've been working on.  Our garden bench and the two chairs linked with a table in the middle were in need of a lick of stain and thanks to Sam [Hettie] giving us the heads up on the colour she did hers with I have now done the bench.....still needs another coat and haven't started on the other yet.

Isn't it fab.....it makes me smile every time I look at it and will really make our new back garden look lovely when they are both finished.

The other pic I'm sharing with you this week is this one of a flock of starlings on our front lawn.  I'm not sure you will be able to see but the majority of the birds are babies and the adults had brought them down to feed on the ?ants in the lawn.

It was something like the film 'The Birds' at the time but to see so many weaning fledglings at once really made us smile.

There you go.  That's it from me for today.  I hope you have enjoyed my smiles and will link yours up below.

Hugs,

Annie

WOYWW....

Hi folks.  Here we are at another Wednesday full of fun.  I've not had a lot of customer's sewing to do this week so have been having creative fun so that's what I've got to share with you today.

Last week I showed you a pile of fat quarters that I had got out to give me inspiration for a little project I had in mind.  I chose a selection I felt went together well, took a big breath and actually cut into them to do some crazy patchwork with [not something I find easy to do but Julia gave me a good talking to last week ;-) ]

They are just my favourite colours and I really love the finished effects of the patchwork with the machine embroidery along the seams....can you tell I have really enjoyed playing with this little project?

And of course I have now used this finished piece of patchwork....to cover a book for a special little gift for a friend.

Of course I'd caught the crazy patchwork bug with that project so I am now using some more of my favourite fabrics and a more random patchwork style on my next project.

It's been so lovely to have time to be creative this week.....I wonder what my time this next week will be filled with?  :-)

That's all from me for today.  I'm still taking names for the 6th year anniversary ATC swap so if you are wanting to swap with me and haven't yet emailed me your details then let me know and I will put your name on one :-)  Hope you all have a great week.  Leave me a little comment to say you've called in and I will do my best to pay you a return visit.

Hugs,

Annie x