This week's smiles.....week 523

 Here we are at another catch up of the week's smiles......and I think we all need a few smiles.

 We were away last weekend in our caravan on a campsite near Colwyn Bay in North Wales and......it rained and rained and rained again but we still managed a lovely walk on the beach with Milly one morning [she really loves running on a beach with her ball] and we had a weekend filled with lots of fun and laughter.  We went up to Angelsey but it was so foggy we could hardly see our hands in front of our faces and the fog horn was going.  We went up the Great Orme for a ride but it was so damp and windy we didn't get out of the car.  All in all it wasn't the weekend we had planned but we really enjoyed the time away together.....so much so that our next break away is already booked.

The view from our caravan was the bottom right pic and in the top right pic was of two of the little visitors [baby rabbits if you can't see them] right outside the caravan window and Milly would have loved to play with them [in truth she would chase them and give them a good shaking if she caught one of them!!]

Yesterday we had our last Louie fun day until after the school holidays so I made the best of  my Louie snuggles.....he is growing up so quickly and changes every time he comes to us.

When we got back from our time away our sweet peas had started flowering.  I love them but can't have them in the house so knowing that they benefit from regular cutting I give them to that much older sister of mine because she loves them.....and I love her too :-)

Of course it wouldn't be a Friday without a few funnies.  I hope something makes you smile and you will leave me a little message before linking up at the bottom of the post to your own week's smiles.....and I hope you've had lots of them.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 As promised last week I'm giving you the answer to my puzzle.

If you didn't see last week here is the tool I was using and wondered if any of you would guess what I use it for....and most of you had a guess but none of you actually got it right. My Dad made it for me so it comes out like a much loved friend and I have really enjoyed using it.

Firstly I wind it with wool [so yes some you got that bit right] then I remove the wooden bit which is really used as a spacer to keep the metal prongs the same distance apart.

I then sew securely up the centre of the wound wool and then remove it from the frame..... and make 3 more lengths of  loopy wool.

The lengths of loopy wool then get stitched firmly in rounds onto the rag dolls head. 

 I used to make lots of dolls like this when our children were small so I have really enjoyed making this one....it's for a 'Name the doll' money maker for The Harry Johnson Trust.

She then got a face sewn on and a pair of pants made for her.....a girl needs pretty pants doesn't she?

To finish off I made her a pretty matching dress and a pair of shoes.

I've printed off a chart with 100 girls names on it and they will be sold for £2 a guess so she will raise lots of money for the cause.  She will be at Minsterley show on the Harry Johnson stand.

The other thing I have to share is another school Memory bear.....I have another 5 Memory bears coming some time this week too.

Thanks for calling by.  If you leave me a little message  I will pop over to yours to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 522

 Hello all.  After I had a weekend with a sick bug my biggest smile is that I now feel so much better....thankfully because we are off on another adventure to Conwy in North Wales this weekend in our caravan.  I have had lots to smile about and have a few pics to share with you...

We've had another lovely day with Louie this week.....he changes so much each week when he comes to play.  This week he decided to put two of the 'keys' off his one toys on his ankles and enjoyed wearing them like bangles....he kept doing a little dance and we said he would make a good Morris dancer :-) :-)

We've had more proud moments from the twins.  Lexi auditioned with 70 others and was one of 16 to be chosen to play a part in the Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury  and.....

...Sam auditioned for the part of Hero in the Polar Express train ride and he was successful too.

These grandchildren of ours know how to make us proud.

Of course I always do my best to find a few funnies to make you smile.

I may struggle to leave comments again this week but I will do my best.  I hope you all have a great week and have lots to smile about.

Hugs,

Annie x

This one made me think of you Elizabeth :-)

WOYWW....

 Hello all.  It's been a different sort of week here for me....no bears at all so far.  Over the weekend I rather sadly caught a sickness bug from somewhere and was laid up all day Sunday so had to take the day off from customers on Monday so as no not spread the bugs....but by Monday I was feeling rather better, if but a little wobbly on my legs, so I spent the day chilling and sewing for pleasure in my sewing room and that's what I've got to show you today....and a little puzzle for fun.

I used some of the gorgeous fabric I was given to, use for charity to ,make this lovely quilt.  I really enjoyed making it and I will be printing a 10 x 10 square to sell squares at £2 each [to make £200] for The Harry Johnson Fund.

The other thing I'm sharing with you is this tool.  It's something my Dad made for me [I'm sure Jo has one too].  It's something I haven't used for a long time but I had such fun using it on the next thing I wanted to make.

What do you think it is and what do I use it for?

I will show and tell next week but please lets have a bit of  fun....have a guess in your comment.....no prize !!

Please don't give away the answer Jo.

That's all from me for this week.  Have fun folks and please avoid the bugs if you can.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 521

 It's been another bear filled week for me this week and they have given me lots to smile about....each one is different and I love learning a little about why each one is being made.....I love my job.

Shell has been fitting out the twins with their new school uniform for their secondary school.  They look so grown up....can you believe it was 11 years since that 4lb little girl and 6lb little boy came into this world?

Theo and little Louie enjoy playing together now that Louie is older and it makes me smile to see them.

Louie normally likes to nap on his Grandad as you know but I was spoilt yesterday....we had been looking at some books and he snuggled down for his afternoon nap on my lap.....I love to watch a sleeping baby.

Our flowers continue to make us smile....there are soooooo many buds yet to open on the clematis in the top right....it's only going to get better.

Of course, I have to share a few funnies to make you smile too before I go.  I hope you will leave me a little message before you then share your own smiles by linking up at the bottom.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 It's bears, bears and yet more bears this week  [and that's far from all I've done this week!!]....

I shared one bear with you last week and when the lady came to collect her bear she brought more clothes to make these two for her two daughters.

When the same lady came to collect the two bears in the pic above she came with clothes to make this little bear for one of her friends who had lost her husband.

I had to remake the tie to make a small version to fit the little bear....I love a challenge.  I usually use the thin end of the tie for the bears but this would have meant the  little boats/islands would have been upside down.

My next challenge came from a customer from Doncaster.  She had lost her husband and she wanted 7 Memory bears making for her grandchildren from Grandad's favourite t shirts....a specific two for each bear so I had to not only stabilise each panel with interfacing but I had to make sure each bear had two front/back panels and the correct one had to be on the left or right too.

Here's the results....I was pleased to see I'd got them all right and it was so lovely to see them all finished and looking so different.....they are now winging their way to their new homes in Doncaster.

Since then I have started making more School Memory bears....this one was special because it was for a returning customer who I had made one 4 years ago for an older sibling when they left Primary school.

Finally [for now] here's two more little school bears but this time they are made as gifts for two teachers who are retiring.....I thought this was a lovely idea.

So, I'm sorry there's a lot to share today but I like to keep my blog up to date.  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

This week's smiles.....week 520

 Another week and I have plenty to smile about.  My biggest smile was that I finished the latest bag full of factory sewing....it was a lot of hard work but they have been collected now.  :-) :-) ;-)

I'm sure you my orchids will make you smile but if you look a little closer you might notice a special visitor on the bird feeder outside .... I took the photo from my chair in the sitting room and the woodpecker came back to feed several times :-) :-)

Three of my grandchildren are moving up to secondary school in September and have all been for taster days this week....and thankfully all have really enjoyed it.

Here's the twins wearing their leavers hoodies.

This is Stephen wearing his hoodie and his sisters have lined up in their hoodies for a photo shoot....they are such lovely keepsakes of their times at primary school.

They are all growing up far too quickly that's for sure.

Of course it wouldn't be a Friday without a few funnies and I hope I've found something to make you smile here.

Please leave me a message so I know you've called in and, if you can, please link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Well!! What a week it's been...in fact it was only 3 working days for me last week. 

Since last Wednesday I have.....

• Replaced the zips in 36 pair of factory trousers
• Repaired 5 pair of trousers
• Repaired a white factory jacket
• Shortened 6 pair of trousers
• Took up a jumpsuit on the shoulders
• Made a pair of car seat belt strap padded neck protectors 
• Altered a Bridesmaid's dress
• Shortened a pair of linen trousers
• Shortened a lined dress and
• Made this Memory bear.....

He's made in Memory of a special man for his wife and when she came to collect she brought me....

......more shirts to make two more Memory bears for his two daughters.

I have a further 9 Memory bears coming this week too [7 of which are coming through the post].

So, as you can see, it's going to be another busy week....including two full days with grandparent duties to fit in too :-)

I will do my best to pop over to visit as many as I can in my free minutes....please be patient with me this week.

Hugs,

Annie x