WOYWW....

 

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Happy 15th Anniversary to you all.  I made a box full of ATCs for the crop but thought Is should make this one special ATC to celebrate our 15 years together so this will be going to the one after my name on the list.  What special friendships we all have made thanks to Julia's wonderful idea all those years back....and I thank you with all my heart Julia for the effort you put in each and every week my friend.  I can't wait for the crop on Saturday.

I was poorly last week so wasn't up to joining in the Wednesday fun but am thankfully much better now and wouldn't miss this week of celebrations for the world.  I have had a busy week with sewing this week.....

• I've shortened two long dresses
• Shortened several pair of trousers/jeans
• Shortened a dress etc etc

My desk today has all the things I've been getting ready for Saturday's crop....

I've filled two little fabric boxes with Celebrations ready for the raffle on Saturday....they are now wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon :-)

I've made a badge to wear so everyone knows who I am....not that I think anyone will be in doubt :-)

Julia asked us to make/wear one and who would argue with the boss? :-)

I've hunted out some random patchwork that I am embroidering on to bring with me to do while I'm there ....I can't imagine I will get much done but I do like to look willing :-)

[too much talking, laughing, drinking coffee and eating cake] 

That just leaves me to say Happy 15th Anniversary to you all and I hope to see at least some of you in Stoke on Saturday.  Thanks for all the love, care and friendship over the years and here's to the next 15 :-) :-)

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Another week has passed and I have more to share with you.  Last week I had the emotions of the perfect fitting wedding dress that I'm working on and this week there has been more emotions but different ones.

Firstly, I have more items I've made for the Harry Johnson trust to share with you.

Another batch of key rings....cos I've sold some of the last batch :-) 

I've made another couple of fabric boxes because I have already sold one of the last ones I made....and that has made me smile.

I found a pattern to make some aprons and made one and have 2 more half made.

My emotions came when I was asked to make this latest little Memory bear.  It is made in memory of a very special little girl who died aged 4 years using the gown she wore in intensive care.....I really hope it brings lots of comfort to her family.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will leave me a little message so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pay you a return visit.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Hello folks.  I'm baring all again and sharing some of my creative space with you.

This week I have been working with requests from the dog breeder where we bought Milly from who is setting up her dog grooming business in a new location that will allow her to sell other dog related items to the public.  You all know just how much I love a challenge so when she asked what I could make for her my brain went into overdrive, out came the fabrics and I started pattern making and sewing.  It's early days yet but along side my other customer sewing this week I have been creating so that's my excuse for the photos I'm sharing today....

First I'm going to stun and shock you all by these two pics.  So many of you paper crafters have exploding boxes that I thought you'd like to see mine only of course mine are overflowing with fabrics!!

The top one is my smaller scrap box but of course it's been piled high with other things and the bottom pic is my fabric box I made to hold my fat quarters and as you can see it just doesn't!!.....but it will one day when I can get my head around using some of it.  :-)

I have laid out some of my fat quarters so my customer can decide which she would like her bunting making out of for her shop.....but I have a feeling she has decided for me to use something else now....so I guess this lot will be piled back into the box again.

See! I did try to use some of it.

I sorted out some of my tartan fabrics to show her and I may well be making bandanas or bow tie out of some of these.....but for now I will put them back into one of my 16 Ikea storage boxes full of fabrics.

I have made another batch of bandanas....I really love this fabric and so does my customer so I will be buying more of this.

I've also made my first batch of doggy bows that fix on the collars with a loop of elastic....I love the little paw prints on these.

And finally, some of you may have seen on my Friday post that I made covers for Milly's fav little brown dog toy firstly in brown fabric .....which she chewed straight through! and then in denim...... she doesn't mind it being blue.....or does she?

As you can see she has chewed one of it's legs off to get little brown dog's leg out  :-) :-) :-)

Well folks that's it from me for today.  I will be getting my dumfing ready to bring it with me to the crop at the weekend......getting pretty excited now folks.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW

Hello all and happy Wednesday to you all.  I'm having a really busy week with sewing this week.  Lots of orders for Memory Bears came flooding in on Monday [ 5 in total!!!] so I worked all day yesterday [usually my day off ].  I have lots of other sewing too and have a table at Belvidere School fair in Shrewsbury on Friday afternoon [It's between 3-5 if anyone feels like popping in to say hello] so wont be here to get any of it done plus am catching up with a friend this morning for a quick coffee [so  more talking and less sewing will be done then too!!].....it's just one of those weeks.....and I'm loving the buzz.

So here's a few snaps to show you my desk this week.....

My desk in full bear making mode.

4 of the 5 Memory bears that I've managed to get finished so far.  They are all for the same customer....2 in memory of her Mum and the other 2 in memory of her Dad.  I do love working with clothes that hold special memories and making treasured bears for my customers.

You might have noticed this little quilted fabric box on the first photo....it's what I do when I'm waiting for customers to come....I'm never idle and thought I might manage a few to take with me on Friday.....just hope they sell.

There you go.  It's rather short and sweet but that's how the boss likes it.  I will do my best to pop to as many desks as I can but I'm sure you will guess I will be rather busy this week so if I miss you out please forgive me.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

I know you will be here to see my desk today so here you go....

I fact having emptied all 10+ boxes of my material out to sort there is material in piles on every surface in my sewing room....to be honest this was first thing yesterday morning and after many happy hours oooing and awwwing it's now looking more like this.....

And...

 

I spent quite a while trying to decide just how I was going to store it but it's now been sorted into...

•  Cottons and poly cottons patterned
•  Cottons and poly cottons plain
• Warm checks and woolen fabrics
• Linings
• Shiny fabrics
• Linens
• Furnishing fabrics
• Utility fabrics for patching/darning and pocket linings
• Stockinette fabrics for dolly faces
• Smaller scrap box

.......and of course there are random pieces tucked in where there is room for them.  Maybe, just maybe I will be able to find any piece I need now?  I guess there is rather more chance now at the least. :-)

Just in case you think I've been wasting any time I have also, at long last, managed to finish the top I started for myself months ago and I have been working on my new Facebook page uploading some of my rag dolls.  Thanks to all who have 'liked' and 'shared'.....there has been a lot of interest in them.....and little Micky has been sold already.

That's all from me for today.  If you'd like to leave me a little hello comment I will call by at yours as soon as I'm able.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Mine's a bit of a two for one post today......and I blame Sam [Hettie].

You will have seen last week that Sam paid us a visit.....well, she had been given a dumfer for her birthday.  For those that still don't know what dumfing is please feel free to click on the link in my right side bar for an explanation.  Where was I?  Oh yes Sam and her dumfer!  I follow Sam on Pinterest and she had been pinning dumfing ideas so of course I had my creativity stirred and I woke Thursday morning with my head full of ideas and feeling desperate to dumf.

So...

• Where was my dumfer?....in it's cover having not been used since we moved!
• Where would I find some linen type fabric to dumf onto?.....oh no!! all my boxes have been moved ready for the building work to start!!!
• Where are my wool rovings, threads etc to dumf with?.........

 

 

Of course they were in box on the bottom of a very big stack of boxes that are now sitting behind the settee in the living room......why is it that what you want is always at the bottom of the pile?

 

An hour and a half later I managed to find the basics and set myself up on a table in amongst the plaster and brick dust in what will be my new sewing room for a bit of dumfing fun......results will follow some other time.

 

 

And on my usual sewing desk today is a little job for Lexi.  She tore the skirt on her fav dress so Nanny Annie was asked to mend it :-)  That's what Nanny Annie does :-)

So, there you go.....two desks from me today.  Please leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and I will pop over to yours to see what you've been up to.  Thanks for calling by.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Hello folks.  Here we are on another Wednesday when a load of us link up over at Julia's at the Stamping Ground to expose and share our creative spaces....whether they be tables, desks, floor spaces or kitchen spaces.  We are a really friendly bunch, joining in is free and there are very few rules so why not pop over to Julia's to check out the details.

I hope you will check out my previous post if you'd like to see my poppy pics taken while my dearest darling hubby and I were on a 'have it away' weekend in London.  The poppies really were mind blowing and it was a weekend that will stay in my memory for ever.

Of course what you're really here to see today is my desk so I've stood back a little to snap you a quick pic of what's going on here.....

• As you can see I've mounted my machine embroidered Christmas card designs and been playing with the designs.  I've scanned each one and printed a page of each of them off to work out what I'm going to do with them.....as they say....watch this space :-)
• I've just had a packet of 1" wooden beads arrive with my postman.....I've got a few ideas in the pipeline as to what I'm going to go with these so keep your eyes open for results.
• In the bottom left of the pic you can see some of my many boxes/bags of fabric and wools....trust me when I say this really is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fabric stash
• Middle top of the pic you can see my little temporary rail where you can see some of my customers sewing waiting to be collected....yes I'm getting a few callers each week now thankfully.
• at the back of the table, under the cupboard you can see a couple of boxes of overlocking threads and my button box....I can't wait to set up my new sewing room when it's built....the plans have now been sent to the planning office and, all being well, we should be able to start building etc in the new year :-)

I hope you've enjoyed your visit this week.  Please leave me a little message to let me know you've called by and I will pop over to yours as soon as I can.

Hugs,
Annie x

WOYWW...

Here we are at another fun day of the week when we all go snooping at other creative spaces to check out the talents around the world.  If you don't know what I'm talking about [then where have you been for the last 5 years?] please pop over to Julia's at the Stamping Ground and check out the details.  It's free, fun and totally voluntary but does come with a health warning....If you join in you will be back because it's totally addictive :-)

So here's my desk for today...

My  window storage boxes have been slid across so I can watch the bird feeders through the gap that the birds have now found and the box on the left is now full to over flowing with the things I have made using the gifted fabric.  They will be on sale at a craft sale in Pontesbury on 4th October and the money will be given to charity so please call in if you're passing.  

Since last week I have made.....

More little fabric boxes.

14 little fabric Christmas tree decorations.

A taggy dinosaur.  :-)

A taggy lion.  :-)

I made a piece of random patchwork with some gorgeous soft brushed fabric then made 4 lined, zipped purses / bags out of the fabric.

So there you go folks.  As you can see I've had a busy week creatively.  Most of my makes were taken from ideas found on Pinterest....where would we be without it for inspiration?  I have 400 new fliers going out this week to let folk know I'm back in business with sewing but have already had my first new customer since we moved so word is already getting out there.  

We spent the weekend clearing a space in the back garden to make room for a new shed  to give us a bit more storage and we had a visit from an architect on Tuesday night to start the ball rolling on the alterations to our new bungalow.....it's so exciting.  By the time we have the plans drawn up and passed it will probably be after Christmas before we start to knock down / make a mess / build  but there is no rush....we are going nowhere!

Thanks for calling by today.  Please leave me a little hello message to let me know you've been and I will do my best to call by as soon as I get a minute to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,
Annie x

WOYWW....

Hi folks it's been another busy week here. 

There has been more change here at our new home...a couple of posts and fence panels in the back garden have been moved [by my wonderful hubby] to allow space for a new back gate to be put in to give us much better access to the back garden and to allow access for builders when we get plans passed for the small extension we hope to have built.....yes it's all go but it's so exciting  :-)

My little Ikea cupboards are now all painted and I'm rather thrilled with the finished result...what do you think?

I've been busy using more of my stash of gifted fabric to make some little fabric boxes.  I found a little triangular design on Pinterest that I rather liked so I've had a play and here's my first completed box. Like it?  I hope you do cos I've now cut out the fabric for several more and hopefully today I will get them made.....in between paying a visit to all who call by here and leave me a comment of course :-)

And the last pic I have to share today is of a little treasure I found hidden in the new garden yesterday.  A lot of you will know my love of poppies so will know just how much this made me smile.  The petals are just so delicate....just like tissue paper :-)

I hope you like my show and tell for today.  Thanks to all who called by last week and left me such lovely comments.....you really are a very special bunch.

Hugs,

Annie x