WOYWW...

 Here we are at another catch up with out creative friends around the world to see what they have on their desks this week.  It's such a lovely friendly group so if you're tempted why not join in the fun?  Just pop over to Sarah's Craft Shed where you will find out more details.

I've had another lovely week with sewing and have a couple of things to share with you...

I've been looking through my stash of fabrics and 'found' a bag of tired/old jeans one of my customers gave me.  I wasn't feeling very enthusiastic about cutting them up to make bags with them so I used a piece off 4 of the trouser legs and made this lovely little bear.  I wasn't sure how easy denim would be to use but I rather love how he turned out....what do you think?

I wasn't feeling very creative this week so I needed some mindless sewing to do.  I decided that, as I gave my last two quilts to the charity, that I would make another strip quilt....It's such a lovely way to use up fabrics that are left over from other projects.

It's nearly finished now...I just need do stitch the border now :-)

That's all I have to share this week.  I hope you've had a great week.  I will do my best to pop over to see what you've been up to.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 It's been a trying sort of week here at Sewing by Annie's because our internet started playing up [and we only had full fibre installed in January].  It kept dropping out and eventually on Thursday it stopped all together....and boy don't we miss it when we haven't got it?  I felt like my right hand had been chopped off...there is so much in the house that uses it!!   We called an engineer out who came at lunchtime on Friday and he pointed out that the fitter that installed our fibre had stapled through the cable!!  Thankfully he was able to replace the cable and within minutes we were back online.

It's been a quiet week with customers so I have used my time well and.....

.....completed the strip quilt I was making.  There is still a lot of fabrics strips left so I may have to make another or find something else to use them on.

On my little ironing board are 12 little marble mazes I have made for the charity.  I made two for Theo and Louie and they were such a success that I am certain they will sell well.

Apparantly Theo loved his so much that he thinks he'd like to make a really difficult one with me next time he comes :-) :-) :-)

That's all from me for this week.  I hope your week has been trouble free and you have lots of fun creative things to share with us when I call in to see you.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

 Another week and lots more desks to check out.  Mine has seen all sorts of action this week....

I  made a new batch of glasses cases to go for the H J Trust...I love searching through all the fabrics to see what will go together.

I made up the 20 squares for my next strip quilt....now I just need to find the time to join them, quilt and back it.

On my desk today are piles of smaller pieces of fabrics sorted into colours to make up a few patchwork bibs.

That's all from me for today so if you leave me a little message to let me know you've called in I will pop over to see what you've been up to as soon as I can.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Where do these weeks go?  It doesn't seem 5 mins since last Wednesday....I guess that's a sign that I've had a busy week.

I have...

• Made 5 peg bags....and sold two of them as soon as they were finished.
• Made 3 aprons  [ I have handed over the peg bags and aprons with the little frogs and another strip quilt to Harry Johnson Trust and forgot to snap them before they went ].
• Shortened a pair of jeans to make them into shorts
• Shortened 3 layers on the hems of a wedding dress and made and inserted panels under the arms to let them out [a very tricky job, needing a lot of patience but thankfully now finished].
• Shortened a dress and shortened the sleeves so it's now a short sleeved dress.
• and.....

I was asked to make some more hair scrunchies for the charity so I made 16.

I am still to make more glasses cases and some bags :-)

I had a good catch up with Sally who runs the Harry Johnson Trust on Saturday and it was good to find out what had sold and what she needed more of.

That's all from me for today.  I hope you're all fit, well and happy.  If you leave me a little message to say you've called in I will do my best to pay you a visit to see what's on your desk today.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Oh what a lovely week I've had.....Christmas cards are in the making and we've had very special visitors up from South Wales.

I've been doing a bit of strip quilting to cut up for my Christmas cards....and have really enjoyed making them.

My little assistant has been 'helping' sort out the felt ready for a crafting session at Jo's on Tuesday.....every time I pull out one of my boxes she jumps in to 'help' and actually curled up and fell asleep in this one. :-)

Sunday teatime we all met up for a Sunday roast dinner....the food was really good and the company was even better.

Tuesday morning Jan joined Jo and I for a crafty day at Jo's.  Jan enjoyed an hour or maybe more ;-) sorting through the huge box of my donated fabrics and filled a box with stuff that she could use for her makes for the RNLI....this really made me smile.  

Jo provided a yummy lunch...[thanks Jo] and in the afternoon we all sat around Jo's dining table on sewing machines and enjoyed some free machining time to eventually make a Christmas wreath with what we made....they may take a while to make but I'm sure you will see the finished results at some point :-)

All in all we had a wonderful time chatting, creating and enjoying each others company....life should be filled with days like that.

It is a Louie fun day today so please be patient with me but I will drop by to see what you've been up to as soon as I can.

Hugs,

Annie xxxc

WOYWW...

What a difference a week makes eh? From slow slow slow with work I'm now running at full speed plus we are back with Grandparent duties.  We have Louie all day on Wednesdays now and then we have Louie and Theo on either a Tuesday or Thursday each week...this means getting up at silly o'clock and travelling 20 minutes, taking Theo to school, bringing Louie back to ours [in case I have any customers], then fetching Theo from school, bringing him back to ours for tea and then bath and into PJs ready to go home when mummy finishes her very long day at school.....a long but very rewarding day filled with laughter and the making of lots of memories.

 So today is a Louie day but my 'to do' rail is heaving with work ...and it probably wont get done until tomorrow :-) :-)

What have I got to show you today?....

The first strip quilt I made and showed you last week has already gone to raise money with a rag doll, 2 patchwork cushions and a covered tissue box for a breast cancer charity.

This is my helper on his knees helping me put the backing on the next strip quilt......

....and here it is completed.

I've really enjoyed making these and have more strips already cut from the donated fabrics to make another one but it will have to wait until I clear my workload....and that will probably be started tomorrow unless Louie has a nap today and gives me a few minutes.  :-)

I made this Memory bear for a returning customer [and I love it when they love what I do so much that they come back for more]. He's in memory of a grandad using his dressing gown and his favourite blue tie.

I also made these two in memory of a man who used to work with my dad...and it always makes them more special when I know the person concerned.

They are made for the gentleman's wife and daughter using his favourite shirts....each one has a little pocket on the front because the man always loved a shirt pocket and the blue ribbon is in the colour of his football team.

That's all from me for this week...there may be a little delay in getting to see what you've been up to but I will do my best to pop over when I get a minute.

Hugs,

 Annie x

WOYWW...

 Having had 3 weeks with very few customers and a long weekend booked to be away in the caravan it made me chuckle that I was contacted by 7 customers last Friday all wanting my services ASAP....of course they just had to wait until I was back open for business today so it looks like it's going to be a busy week for me.

Before we went away I managed to finish one of the strip quilts...the other one will have to wait for now.

The only other pic I have to show you this week is this one.  I made 32 hair scrunchies before we went away and they just needed finishing off by hand so this was my holiday activity and here they are...now finished.

That's all from me for this week.  I have a Wedding dress and Bridesmaid dress waiting for me to alter plus all that comes through my door....and that's going to be a lot :-)

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

 It's been a stash busting week for me.  That box filled to overflowing with scraps has been put to good use.

I've already made the tops of two large quilts...they just need backing, quilting and finishing off now.

This used up all of the long strips of fabrics and left me lots of short strips so I had to decide whether I cut more long strips to use them with or look for something I could use the smaller pieces to make.

So I made 6 patchwork baby bibs....and I'm thrilled with how they have turned out.

I made two large cushions using the gifted fabrics.

Saturday afternoon, while the men were at football, Jo and I retackled the hugs box of donated fabric again.  We have already used a lot but it's barely scratched the surface so we pulled each piece out and if too small to make anything with we put it to one side and I have already pressed it all and cut it into strips.....this lot will make another strip quilt :-)

The slightly larger pieces have been pressed and cut to make hair scrunchies with...and that's what I will be making today around fittings for a wedding dress and bridesmaid dress.

Jo took away several pieces of fabric to make a few hang abouts with and Angela requested two of them [thanks for the funds Angela it's been put in the charity pot].

I'm not the only one that's been sewing this week.   I shared a couple of puppets Sam had made on my Friday's post and he's now made this gorgeous 3 eyed green alien.  He's loving sewing and is using the puppets he's made to make short films on his phone.

He's also doing a costume course with the drama group he's in this week and is making the costumes for one of the up and coming shows that he's taking part in.

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

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Hi all.  It's been another quiet week here with customers so I have been tackling some stash busting...

Just like Angela's exploding box, only mine was overflowing with fabric scraps.

It was full of scraps that were too small to really do a lot with and I've just dipped into it for little projects so I felt it was time to do something with it all and have been saying for a long time that I fancied making a strip quily like Jan's....the box is now empty :-)

So, one day last week I got every piece out, ironed it and then sat in front of the telly and cut every piece into strips of varying width and length....and what a huge pile it all made!!

I got myself organised with the ironing board alongside of me and, having already cut squares of sheeting/curtain linings ready I stitched the strips on and could then press each strip before attaching the next.

I've varied every square with random colours, spotty, floral, brights and pastels and have now finished the 20 squares [10"x10" so plenty for the first quilt] and am already woring on the next batch.

I'm really loving making these squares, its reducing my scraps and will then raise funds for charity.

I handed on the next batch of completed items on to Sally [Harry Johnson's mum] this week and was rather blown away when she said the last lot that she had taken to Vron Gate Show made just short of £500.  It's Minsterley show this week so hopefully they will do the same this weekend.  I'm so chuffed that the donated fabric is raising such a lot for a great cause.

Please leave me a little message so I know you've called in and I will pop over to yours ASAP.

Hugs,

Annie x