WOYWW...

As you will have seen on Julia's blog the Crop ten celebrations are going to be here in Shropshire next year and I thought you might all like details of when and where.  It will be on Saturday June 1st and will be held here....

You should be able to click on the link for more details but I know some of you have been making plans already and we really do want as many as possible to join us there this year so get the date on the calendar....we will take numbers nearer the time.

Now onto what's been going on at Sewing by Annie's this week.....

I've used more of those Laura Ashley samples that Margaret sent me and have made some lavender bags using the lavender Catriona sent me.

I was asked to make a waistcoat by one of my customers for her little boy for Christmas so I used the pattern I was given by a lady on a Facebook group I am in and made one that's supposed to be for age 5-6.  As it seems to have come up a very generous size and the little boy it's for is slender build I have now made another smaller one and a blue one too.....I was on a roll :-)

I have also made this rather special Memory bear...it's for a lady in memory of her Father made out of his school scarf and tie....that is over 100 years old!!

I do feel very honoured to be trusted with such special items of clothing.

That's about all for me for today.  It was my birthday yesterday so it's been a week of smiles and spoils for me....I may share a few of them on Friday when I post my happy moments and share them with you all.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Here we are at yet another Wednesday catching up with all our creative friends all round the world by linking up over at Julia's....please pop over there for details if you'd like to join in the fun.

This week we have benefited from some gorgeous Spring weather and have been enjoying making a start in our new garden to change what needs to be changed in readiness for the building work we have planned.  One of the gardens has to be moved to make a patio in front of our new kitchen doors so we have been making a raised bed to take at least some of the surplus soil...

The area to the right of the steps will become the patio....well, that's the plan :-)

This little bed has really filled with the bulbs in bloom now but as you can see the weeds have taken over too so yesterday morning while the sun was shining [it really is a sun trap in our new back garden] I made this my work desk and .......

.....pulled this lot out so it now looks like this.....

....and doesn't it look better now? :-)

I can't have hyacinths in the house because the heady perfume gives me a sort of asthma attack but I love the smell and am really enjoying all the gorgeous blooms in the garden.

My indoor desk this week had another challenge for me.  Some of you might recognise this waistcoat as I've shown it on here before.  It belongs to a special gent that I sew for and this was a real favourite of his.  I have repaired many areas several times over the years.  It has special pockets in it that he could keep his mobile phone easily accessible to his good hand....he's had a stroke and relies heavily on his good side.  The waistcoat has become very worn now and beyond repair so I've been asked to use the area unworn on the back to make a special cushion cover for his fav chair.

 

Ta da!!  Here is the finished cushion cover.....It's for a surprise birthday present and I'm sure he will really love it. :-)

Don't you just love it when you know what you've done will put a huge smile on the face of someone special? :-)

That's all from me for this week.  I hope you've enjoyed your visit and will leave me a little hello comment so I know you've called by.  I will do my best to pay you a return visit as soon as I am able.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.......

It's been a really exciting week. Everything from gardening, sewing, crocheting and meeting the lovely Linby to a brilliant night out at the theatre and even a blog anniversary. Never a dull minute here :-) For those wanting my crocheted flowers they are now bagged up and available in the shop.

This morning this is what is on my work desk....

......It's the material for yet another waistcoat for one of my customers and what fun the material is [hope you can see a little of the animal design on it]. This waistcoat is one I have designed especially for a disabled gentleman. It has lots of special pockets with anchorage rings in each to attach things like his mobile phone and a wallet I made for him. He has little use in his one arm and leg so has to use a walking stick and the waistcoat enables him to carry his daily needs around with him and to keep his personal belongings secure when he does his voluntary work out in Africa every year [he drives and is very independent and could teach most of us something about not giving up when times get difficult]. This one the sort of jobs that my nursing knowledge helps with and I have done all sorts of adjustments on clothing to help with medical needs [ including putting popper tape on my own knickers for when I had my knee surgery....a girl just has to maintain her modesty :-) ].

For those that like to keep up with the posh frocks that I sew I have another wedding dress to work on today [can't show you that one yet sorry]

..... this is one I steamed at the end of last week for a wedding on Saturday.


... and a little bridesmaid's dress I have to take in some time this week.






That's all I have to show and tell this week so please pop over to Julia's, our Queen of snoop, to join in the WOYWW fun.

Sewing update....

It's been a different sort of week for me this week. I'm guessing a lot of my customers are on holidays this week with it being school half term holidays round here 'cos there has been a lot less 'traffic' through my door. I will say though I am never idle and have been working on some of my longer term projects. I have made 3 'waistcoats' each one a little different to suit different needs and am now onto the leather version...a rather bigger challenge but I'm sure I will get there and at some point I will show and tell [just not yet]. :-)

The little chair I am working on with my neighbour is getting there too. We have had 2 afternoons working on it but as a 9 mth little angel had to be involved it has to be done in stages. It's looking pretty good though and really just needs steaming and finishing off now so maybe one more session will see it finished.

I have also finished one of my felt embellished bags too and thought you might like to see it. I have had lots of interest in them and am really loving making them so please shout if you fancy one to go with that special outfit. I would aim to match colours as requested.

WIYWW [what's in your workroom Wednesday]...

I spent yesterday working on 'the waistcoat'. We think we have a final design with pockets, zips and rings all carefully measured before stitching in place. Yesterday I cut out and started to make two so I have threads and bits everywhere. I will finish making these this morning but as you are aware I am unable to show and tell them in detail because of the possible pending patent. Watch this space :-)

When these are finished I will be moving on to upholstering this little chair. I am working on it with my neighbour. She is married to a soldier who is in the middle of a 9 month stint out in Afghanistan. They have a 9 mth little girl and this chair is being covered for her in the pretty pink check fabric that is hanging on the back of the chair in the photo. It's a lovely project to occupy the mind for us all. Little A was only 10 weeks old when Daddy left and he has only been home for one week since then. We dearly hope he gets home safely for her first birthday.

'Waistcoat' update. It needs a name?....

For those interested my special gent came back yesterday afternoon just after lunch. My instructions were to text him on his mobile when I'd finished it :-) He was thrilled I'd worked so fast and was pretty blown away at the finished article. I had narrowed the front so it was only the width of the pockets [as instructed :-) ] so judging the finished length the back strap needed to be was difficult. On trying it on this strap was a little too short so that the front couldn't come round far enough so, me being me, I just cut it mid back with my scissors and between us we worked out exactly how long it was needed to be. His face dropped a little when I did this 'cos, as you can imagine, he was thinking he would no longer be able to take it home with him. I left him 'playing' with it, taking books off my shelves and trying them in the lower pockets and his mobile phone in the top pockets. They fit perfectly [of course :-) ]. While he was stood looking at himself in my full length mirror and admiring his new 'toy' I quickly found some more matching material and cut out a new, longer strap. Much to his amazement I then set up the sewing machine and ironing board and made his new strap. We fitted it and I stitched it in place. He was delighted and, just like a child with new shoes, he decided to leave it on to go home. I always walk him safely to his car and on this occasion I was to go with him to look at the leather he had bought to make the final one with. It's a beautiful tan hide and I'm sure will make a lovely job. He is giving this one a good trial run for a week or more before we attack the leather and his leaving words with a huge smile on his face were "I shall wear mine and get you sales for lots more". Watch this space. :-)
I need a name for it now so put your thinking caps on please.