WOYWW...

 Well that's all come round very fast and here we are catching up with the WOYWW gang for the last time before the big day.  I've got a few pics to share with you quickly...

These are the last 2 sets of Memory bears/rabbits I've made in time for Christmas.

The pink ones were made from a Grandma's favourite cardigan.....

....and these two were made from a Grandad's coat and wooly hat....it's surprising what you can do when you try.

They were all made from clothes that belonged to loved ones who were lost in the last year and each family member can now have a little reminder of them on Christmas day.

Catriona sent me the pattern to make a different style of face mask and they are the most comfy ones I've made so, as we will be needing masks for a long time yet, I've made us a few .....one to wash, one to wear and one spare each.

Finally, I've found time to marzipan and ice the Christmas cake and enjoyed a special few hours in front of the telly to make this pretty new Christmas fairy for the top of our tree.

There been lots of time spent with the special little people in our family and there's plans to make more memories too [Covid allowing] so I will just say that I wont be blogging now until next Wednesday [No Friday post this week] and I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2022.

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

WOYWW....

Here we are at another Wednesday sharing day when we expose or desks and share a little of our creative spaces with the world....it's my favourite day of the week.

I've been at it again but this time I thought I'd show you the challenges I get in my day...

 To make my memory bears and other characters I am often given a real challenge to find sufficient fabric to make them out of and the two I made Monday pushed me to the limit.  The two front panels had to be cut out of this blue gingham and this was the only piece big enough to fit one pattern piece on, let alone two!...every other piece was either too short or too narrow and, as you can see, this was the only layout I could get the two on.

The back and logo was to use a school jumper but even that was too short to fit the pattern pieces on all except the sleeves and those were only just long enough.  I take the logos off the front of the jumpers and make a badge out of them to then be sewn on the fronts of the bears in the right place.

This little bear is heading up to Barrow Hall Primary school up in Warrington....that's another location I've not made for before :-)

My rather bigger challenge I was given by the same customer was to make a Memory rabbit from a really tiny dress and top.  As you can see the front is far too small to fit the pattern piece on, which ever way it's turned, and the back was even smaller....so with a lot of dismantling, turning, piecing, joining and patience.......

....One completed little rabbit.  I love a challenge but this one really did push me to my limits....but I do have one very happy customer so it was all worth the effort.

The last share is a bit of a tease really.  I've been making a dozen ATCs for the up and coming swap.  I plan to swap with anyone who would like to swap but that isn't coming to the crop...because I've made something a little different to swap with them.

So, if you'd like to swap ATCs with me please email me at wipso2310@gmail.com and send me your address.

That's all from me for today....I've a rail of sewing to tackle today so will aim to pop round as many blogs as I can in between sewing jobs.

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....

Another week has flown past and here we are at our Wednesday catch up again.  It's been another busy week here at Sewing by Annie's.....nothing new there I hear you say.

I've finished the lap quilt I was making for my cousin in the care home.  I hope she loves it as much as I do and she benefits from a little hug from me each day.

I have had several last minute pairs of school trousers to shorten ready for going back to school yesterday....just as well I am happy to drop everything to get these last minute jobs done because they were only brought to me Monday morning with the instructions that they would pick them up later in the day!!

The middle of last week I received a parcel containing 16 ties in from a special lady with instructions to work my magic and make 4 Memory bears with them so.......

.....Abracadabra 

I followed her instructions and this was the result.....I just hope she likes them as much as I enjoyed making them for her.

The other little job I was given this week was to make a Memory School Rabbit for a little girl starting school this week......rather cute isn't it?

That's all I can share with you for today.  I have been busy making things ready for the crop at the weekend but I can't share those with you as yet....maybe next week.

Thanks for calling in to see me.  I hope to get around as many blogs as possible later to see what you're all busy with.

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

WOYWW....

Happy 9th Anniversary to you all.  What a wonderful thing this is that Julia started all those years ago.  I know she doesn't like thanks but I'm sure we all would thank her for her efforts keeping us linked up each week [and Jan too for when she needs to step in and help out].  

My desk today has a pile of spare fabric I begged from my big sister so I can make a few more charity bags for Margaret in my spare time....yes I do get a bit now and then.

These 5 pieces will do the job nicely and I have plenty of pieces I can use to line them with to make the bags all different.

My other shares are this little Memory dog which was the 100th Memory bear/dog/rabbit I've made since I designed the pattern on 3rd August 2016 so that's in less than 2 years.....quite and achievement wouldn't you say?

If you'd all like to pop over to my Facebook page you will see he is also there to celebrate the numbers of my followers now reaching over 700 and why not get your name in the Gift Draw over there.....it would be so lovely if one of you won.

The other special thing I've made this week is this little Shrewsbury Town rabbit.  He's made from old Shrewsbury Town shirts and is to celebrate our local team heading off to Wembley on Sunday for the playoffs.  I hope he brings them luck and they win the game....our men will be there to cheer them on and Jo and I will be having a bit of quality time together but of course will be watching the game on the telly.

That's all from me for this week.  We have posted our swap ATCs and my PIF ATC will be going in the post later today so there will be lots of happy mail flying around the world in the next week or so.....what a lovely way to celebrate special friendships.

Hugs,

Annie x