WOYWW....

 It's been a busy week and my little assistant has settled in very well...she needs lots of naps but knows where she's loved.  When I'm in my sewing room she likes to cuddle up here....

I've had lots of orders for Memory characters...

This is the first order for a cat and dog that I've had for a long while and I really enjoyed the challenge.

....they are made to remember a much loved Nan and I've used her favourite scarves around their necks.

These two bears are made for a new customer and she loves them so much that she plans to come back for more soon.

These latest Memory characters bring my numbers up to 858 in total :-)

I've even had a little time for some creative play...I thought it might be an idea for making my Christmas cards....It's got to dry completely before I can know for sure.

That's all from me for today.  If you leave me a little message I will do my best to pay you a return visit when I can.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Hello all and happy Wednesday to each and every one of you.  I have a couple of pics to share with you today and a mystery.....

I have another couple of ATCs to share with you from the swap..

Many thanks to Neet and Sylvia....I just love them all.

I've two more Memory characters to share with you today...this time an elephant and a cat made in memory of a much loved mum.

I always love how different they all turn out made from all the different items of clothing I am brought.

I've been busy having creative fun with lots of little pieces of fabric and thought you'd like to see how it's turned out so far....it's really a masterboard to cut up at some point but I loved the effect of them all together.

Now here's your mystery....we went to Ikea yesterday and this is the tray I bought [two of them actually and maybe a few more bits fell into our bag too].

What do you think it will be? The sticks are a clue.

I have a mother-of-the-bride and two prom dresses coming for fittings today but will visit you as soon as I'm able to.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...13th Year Celebrations

 It's been a manic week here for me but I have still managed to make my ATCs for the swap...I think Jo has a list of the ones wanting to swap because we are both sending them out together. 

Since last week I have....

Made this lovely Memory bear out of a wonderful husband's favourite shirt.

Made these three Memory dogs in memory of a 19 year old little dog that died of old age but was a very special friend for it's owner.  They are made out of the dogs toys and blankets.

Made this Memory cat in memory of a much loved Mum.  I was asked to put a lock of her hair inside when I stuffed it so I made a little fabric heart shaped pocket to keep it safe inside.

On top of all that I have 

• shortened 5 shirts, 
• let out 3 pair of trousers,
• shortened a coat,
• put a zip in a gents hoody
• and adjusted a pair of surgical support pants [yes I do get asked to do all sorts here].

I have also..

Raised both these two bridesmaids dresses at the shoulders and shortened the one.

My next job is to shorten the 4 hems on this gorgeous prom dress so that's what I will be busy doing today plus...

• I have more memory bears on their way and 
• another dress coming for me to work my wonders on this morning.

As you can see the fun never ends here for me and, as always, it never rains but it pours.  I will do my best to call on as many as I can this week but for now...

Happy 13th year celebrations to you all and here to many more.  Thank you all for the love and friendship over the years.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Oh what a week I've had since I was here last Wednesday.  We had to run Gina to hospital to be monitored again last Friday but thankfully all was well and she was allowed home again.  Sadly our son Mark has now tested positive for Covid and now has to test negative before he can go with Gina to hospital for the birth of their baby....please keep everything crossed for them as I really don't want him to miss all the excitement. [I may be called upon to be Gina's birthing partener if Mark is still testing positive.]

Last Wednesday I was expecting a bag full of factory trousers needing new zips and by Friday afternoon they looked like this...

All finished...

• New zips fitted to 24 pair of trousers
• 2 pair of trousers repaired and 
• a white coat seam repaired

I do have a wonderful hubby who helps by removing some of the old zips and Gina sat and removed one for me on Friday morning too....we make a great team.

I also had orders from two customers for my Memory characters come in so, as I had so much work to do I spent the weekend cuttings out...

• 1 Monkey
• 1 Cat
• 1 Dog and 
• 4 Bears [quite a menagerie!!]

Most of them needed reinforcing with interfacing too so that meant cutting them each out twice of course!

I spent all day Monday making up the 7 Memory characters to the point that they just needed faces, ribbons and 4 of them were to have personalised labels made.

I know it's my day off on a Tuesday but as today I have 3 bridesmaid fittings booked in I spent yesterday finishing off the monkey, cat, dog and 2 bears for my one customer and....

...two Memory bears for another customer.

Both customers were repeat orders and that always makes my heart sing. 

On top of all that sewing I have also replaced a zip in a pair of jeans and tapered the legs on another pair of jeans.....as I always say it all comes at once. :-)

I will be busy today with the 3 bridesmaid fittings and all 3 dresses will need 3 layers shortening so my busy week continues. If you leave me a little message I will do my best to pop over to yours to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Oh wow these week's seem to fly by when your're busy don't they?  I will quickly run through my week and what's been filling my desks...

It's been another busy week making special memories for some very special people....I'm so blessed to be trusted with special items of clothing to make the bears and to be taken into the hearts of each and every one of them when they share who the bears are being made in memory of.

Since last Wednesday I have been pretty rough with my head cold/cough returning...I seem to hear of so many having this happen to them....and now I would really like to be free of it all.

While I dosed myself up with paracetamol and rested/slept over the weekend I managed to make rabbit number 6 ....here he is sitting with his cousins on my desk while he waits for me to find time to make him some clothes.

You might notice that rabbit number 5 is now wearing trousers and a matching lined waistcoat but is still waiting for his shirt.

And finally you might like to see why I do what I do.  This was written by one of my latest customers that I made several Memory characters for.  She is only 18 years old but such a lovely young lady and this was part of a post she put on her Facebook page....it reduced me to tears.  Her Grandma must have been so very proud of her.

Thanks for popping by today.  I must say sorry to a couple who visited here last week that I didn't manage to pay a return visit to ....I will aim to do better this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Happy Wednesday to one and all.  I hope you are all well and happy and have an enjoyable creative week since we caught up last. 

My shares this week are...

The last 5 Memory characters that have now gone to their new homes....3 cats and 2 bears.

They are all proudly wearing their personalised labels and I've heard back from my customer that all their new owners really love them so that make my job so rewarding.

I think there's been some hanky panky going on in my sewing room because, as you can see, there is a new little bunny.  They are born naked, of course, but hopefully I will get time soon to make her some clothes....watch this space.

Bunny number 5 has now been cut out and I've made a start at putting him together....then there's just one more little boy bunny to make to complete the 3 girls and 3 boys for our grandchildren.

I have had a lot of interest shown to them and have said that I will happily sell them [for the right price of course], and will then replace any needed.....I am really enjoying making each one different.

I saw this on Facebook and it sure fits the bill for me.  I keep taking my happy pills.  My sewing really does lift my spirits when needed.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit this week and will leave me a little hello message so I know you've called in.  I will do my best to pop over to yours ASAP.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Oh what a week I've had here at Sewing by Annie's.  I shared my pic of my boy rabbit on Friday if you'd like to see him but since then I've not had spare time for rabbit making because...

• at 8.30am on Friday I had a customer with clothing to make 3 Memory bears out of
• at 9.30am on Friday I had a customer with lots of different items of clothing wanting me to make 2 Memory Elephants, a Memory cat and 2 Memory bears and
• at 10.30 I had yet another customer with several items of clothing wanting me to make 2 Memory bears and 3 Memory cats!!!

As the saying goes it never rains but it pours.

The first 3 Memory bears were easy as they were to be made using a pair of moleskin trousers so nice to use and no interfacing needed and here they are....

 The other 10 Memory characters were all to be different with special requests as to what fabric goes where on which particular character and every item of fabric required backing with interfacing so that meant I had to cut out.....

• 80 body panels  [each of the 10 needed 4 body panels and each one needed interfacing backing]
• 48 ear panels  [6 characters required ears so front and back of each ear plus interfacing for them all]
• 16 tail panels  [4 cats needed tails plus interfacing]
• 2 elephants have plaited tails

I can never guarantee that I wont get the same through my door on my next working day so I spent all weekend getting my head around which panel was to be in which fabric [right or left or front or back] and I carefully cut them all out and put them ready to start sewing Monday morning....

the first 5 lined up by my sewing machine and...

....the other 5 all cut out and lined up on my cutting station desk.

These will be even more challenging as most of the fabrics are fleecy and fluffy plus these 5 all have to have labels hanging around their necks with 'For ever in my heart' machine embroidered on.

And just so you know I've been kept busy here are the first 5 now completed [ done on Monday].

Of course I don't work Tuesdays with having our little visitor here so the other 5 will hopefully be made today so it will be another busy day head down sewing for me.....of course the streaming head cold with earache that I now have really doesn't help me does it?

I will do my best to pop over to visit you at some point but I may be a little late this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

It's been another really busy week here at Sewing by Annie's and I have to start by saying sorry to those I didn't manage to visit last week.  I hope you will understand when you see all I've been busy with...

First was a Memory cat made in memory of a much loved Dad out of one of his shirts that has now gone to it's new home down in Bristol....another area of the country reached by my Memory Characters.

Then I was asked to make 3 Memory bears in memory of a much loved Grandma and because my customer loved them so much she asked me to make ......

.....another one and is planning on coming back for more after Christmas.

And then on Monday I made 2 Memory cats and a Memory dog in memory of a much loved mum and grandma.  I feel so blessed to be asked to make such treasured items and am so often taken into the hearts of the customers I make them for.  As I say hugs here come free.

Hope you like my latest makes and can see why I didn't manage to visit all last week.....I will try harder this week but I still have several last minute orders to arrive through the post that will need making and posting back before the big day.  I do love being kept busy so am loving life at the mo.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

You will all know that I love a challenge and this week I've been asked to get designing. [Sorry if you've already seen them].

On Sunday night I was asked if I could make a Memory Elephant....of course I could was my reply and Monday morning I got my roll of brown paper out and made a pattern for an Elephant and then of course went on to test it out and hey presto.....

....meet my new Memory Elephant.  At lunchtime I uploaded his picture on my Sewing by Annie Facebook page to introduce him with the other characters I make and was then asked if I made a Memory Monkey so I then had challenge number two.....

.....more brown paper cutting and hey presto by the end of the day I had made.....

....Memory Monkey....and he has been shared on my Facebook page yesterday to much excitement.  I have a feeling he's going to be very popular.  So now along side my Memory Bears I now offer a Memory Dog, a Memory Cat, a Memory Rabbit, a Memory Elephant and a Memory Monkey....and I love them all :-)

The other little share I have today is this one...

Here's the girls sat crossed legged on the floor on Saturday enjoying their knitting.  They can almost knit unaided now and are slowly progressing with their first knitted square that we are going to make into a little bunny....it gives me so much pleasure passing on my skills to the next generation and they really love spending time with me so it's def a win win situation.
Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles....week 319

I'm here for my usual weekly catch up of the happy moments of my week and to share them with my friends hoping that they make you smile too and your share yours with me.  Having had a couple of very quiet weeks with my sewing business it's really made me smile that this week I've been REALLY busy. 

 Since doing the Bridesmaid's dress and posh frock of last week I've had a steady flow of item's of clothing to make memory characters with.  I'd already made the stripey bear you saw on Wednesday and yesterday I made.....

A School Memory bear for a little girl and School Memory rabbit for her big brother plus for their mummy I made....

...a special Memory cat out of her Nan's favourite cardigan.  When I sent her the photos of her finished characters this was her response..

Annie I’m in happy tears!! My Nan’s Bear is fantastic!!! And the kids!!! Love them all thanks so much xx can’t believe you have done them already x talented lady x

......this is why I feel so blessed to be doing the job I do.

On Sunday while hubby was at footy I went to an Escape Room session with my Son, Mark, his wife Gina and a group of friends.  As you can see from the photos the younger generation won the challenge and managed to break into the bank to get the money before us oldies but as only 57% of those that go in actually escape in the time allowed the fact that us oldies got out with over 4 minutes to spare really made us smile.

This is my garden catch up for this week.  We bought two new Lilac bushes at the end of last year and they are now bursting into bloom....I can nearly smell them already....can't wait.

I think I will leave it there for this week.  Please leave me a little message if you've called in and it you can then link up to your smiles below.

Have a great week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Oh what a week it's been here at sewing by Annie's.  I seem to have been rather busy so here's my share for this week....

Firstly I'd like to say thank you to...

• Sylvia
• Christine and
• Robin

These are the latest ATCs I've received.  Aren't they gorgeous?

This is the status of my bag making for Margaret's charity...8 made, 6 more cut out ready to sew and Jo gave me another piece of material to make a few more.....when I get a minute!!

I was sent the pile of babygros this week in the post and I spent a while sending pics of each combination of colours to my customer then made the little Memory rabbit exactly as she wanted it....she's rather cute isn't she?

I was thrilled that Facebook and the postal service allowed me to prove a service for a lady who lived in York so obviously couldn't just drop in to see me.

Since last week I've also made these 4 little Memory characters....each one so different but lots of memories made for their new owners.

On top of that little lot I've also...

• Shortened a bridesmaid's dress
• Shortened a pair of jeans
• Shortened 3 lady's dresses
• Tapered the legs on 3 pair of trousers
• Shortened 3 pair of trousers and
• Shortened an evening dress

So my rail looks like this!!

Oh and yesterday I had little Theo for the afternoon so please don't think it's been all work and no play for me.  :-) :-) :-)


 So please leave me a little message so I know you've called in and I will do my best to pay you a return visit ASAP.
Hugs,
Annie x

WOYWW....

Well folks what a wonderful week last week was....for so many reasons.

The 9th blog anniversary saw me visiting everyone who had joined in the fun....even if there were a few I was unable to leave a comment on [sorry about that].

I've had a lovely week since with happy mail popping through my letterbox each day with ATC swaps.....

Many thanks to...
[from top left...]

Sarah
Jo
Margaret
Heather
Jan
and Neet

Nikki
Cindy
Angela
Julia
and Shaz

They are all so different but each one was made with love and I will treasure them....just got to make a folder now for them to go in :-)

It was a really busy week for me with sewing too.  In the 4 days I worked [I don't work Tuesdays as I often have little Theo to look after] I managed to.......

• Make 2 Memory bears and 1 Memory rabbit 
• Shorten 2 bridesmaids dresses 
• Put a concealed zip in a heavily sequined evening dress 
• Shorten 3 dresses 
• Shorten the sleeves on 2 dresses 
• Shorten 4 pair trousers and
• Take in a bikini top

As you can imagine there weren't many spare minutes in my days but I love it when I'm busy and was really buzzing.

The one little Memory bear was made out of a school fleece jacket with a special label around his neck......I hope Ella likes it as much as I do cos it's really cuddly.

The other two were made in memory of a much loved sister.  I really love the colour combination of these two and the lady I made them for loved them so much she would like me to make a cat to match them....so it's back to the drawing board for me to design a cat pattern.....

First draught of pattern.....will make one up now to see what it looks like.

You may see the finished cat next week....if it turns out ok :-)

That's all from me for today.  Please leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pay you a return visit ASAP.

Hugs,

Annie x