WOYWW....

Here we are at another Wednesday fun day when we all expose our creative spaces to the world.  If you'd like to find out more and maybe join in then please pop over to Julia's to check out the details.

I've had a busy and very messy week here at Sewing by Annie's....

And of course you'd all like to see just how messy I get from time to time.  I was making a couple of rather tricky cushion covers but the fabric was very static and fraying so not only was there a lot of threads but I ended up covered in them!!!....nice colour though hehehe

It's Prom time again and this week has seen the first of the prom dresses I've got to shorten and alter this year.....these are for twin girls. :-)  Pretty colours aren't they?

My postman has brought me several more wonderful ATCs again this week......Each one makes me smile.....thanks so much girls I love them.

And last but by no means least here's a few snaps from a rather special 2 1/2 hours of one to one with Lexi this week.  Shell had to take Sam for an appointment and of course it's so much easier when you can take just the one so she asked if I would have Lexi for her......of course I would :-)

She came with a little Early Learning Dolly to make and who better to have a sewing session with eh?  What a special time we had. .....and wow just look at the results [please feel free to click on the pick to have a closer look].  The kit said age 5-8 years on it but this little 3 1/2 year old did a pretty good job of it didn't she?

I hope you've enjoyed my show and tell this week.  If you leave me a little hello comment I will call by at yours ASAP to see what you've been up to this week....bet you've not made as much mess as me :-)

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....and a blue bell pic update

Happy Wednesday to you all.  Our 3rd birthday celebrations are creeping up on us.  Only 2 weeks to go now  :-)

I had never made an ATC before and as you know I love a challenge so when Julia suggested it for our birthday celebrations I was ready to give it a go. I eagerly made my first ATC ready for the swap but now I'm hooked and have now made several....no pics of course as yet....so if any of my regular visitors would like to swap ATCs with me can you please email me your address to wipso@toucansurf.com and I will happily do a swap with you [If I get more swap offers than I've already got made then I will happily make more :-) ].  This will of course be extra to the pass it forward recipient who will get one whether they want one or not  :-) :-) :-)

I've really enjoyed being creative in my spare time and it has helped me not being quite so creatively frustrated....my arthritis has flared up in my hands at the mo and it is stopping me knitting [something I love to do while watching the telly in the evenings] :-(

So? What have I been doing that I can actually share with you?

I've cut out 6 little dolls for the twins to have at home.  The two on the left are some of the ones I made years ago and they have become firm favourites with the munchkins when they come to play at Nanny Annie's.

Here is a snap of one of my latest posh frocks that I've been working on lately [sorry it's such a poor pic].  It has a beaded bodice and a very full layered and gathered skirt [and is a size 26!].  I've had to shorten it and take it in on the bodice to fit snug.....yes, quite a challenge!

The patterned turquoise you can see hanging behind the black dress is gorgeous silk fabric that I'm making me a new top with....I'm adapting the neckline from the pattern so will have to pick it up to finish it when I have a little more time to fiddle with it but I'm really loving working with such fab material.

My 'to do' rail is full and I have already had three more new customers again this week so I have a busy day ahead of me for today....there is never quite enough hours in the day is there?  Thank you for calling in to read my WOYWW post.  Please leave me a little 'hello' message before you  pop off the link up at Julia's and I will do my best to do a return visit during my coffee breaks  :-)

Don't forget to email me if you fancy swapping ATCs in 2 weeks for our birthday celebrations.  I feel so very blessed to mave made so many wonderful friends in the last 3 years so it would be really fab if some of you would like to swap with me......as you can see I have lots here in this little box waiting to find new homes :-)     Hehehe  I'm such a tease?






I've just nipped out and snapped you this pic of my bluebells in the sunshine that I'm sat looking at while I sew.....enjoy  :-)

WOYWW....

Another week has passed and spring is on it's way [she says hopefully]   :-)

The churchyard opposite our house is full of snowdrops so I snapped a pic for you.  They look so pretty amongst the old grave stones.

Phillip the pheasant likes to come to feed on a daily basis....mostly to annoy our dogs I think cos here he is right outside our kitchen patio door feeding and watching the 3 dogs sitting the other side of the glass  :-)  He is such a stunning bird and is so beautifully marked.

I thought this week I would show you a busy desk.  This was Monday's desk.....and this week the mess was made by just the two of us cos our friend T was unable to join us.  We seem to fill our table with all sorts.....

• fabrics
• glue
• scissors [at least two pairs], snips [at least two pairs], pins and needles
• dolly patterns...yes more dollies in the making.
• threads, trims, beads and buttons in the box in the middle of the table....this is Jo's travelling project box.
• sewing machine [Jo's only cos mine are all behind me as I stand to snap the pic]
• 2 coffee cups [compulsory of course and somewhere there will be two chocolate biscuit wrappers!]
• the canvas pic Jo is working on
• through the doorway in top right hand corner is the ironing board today [Jo put it here so I couldn't see her using bond a web on it  :-) ....and we all know what bond a web on the ironing board is like!]

My family is still growing.  I have had so many people call in and want to buy them that I thought I'd best make enough to fill a shelf in the blog shop.  I have now cut out a further 3 so will be uploading them all in the blog shop as soon as they are all finished.  They are adapted from an 'Oh sew Dollin' pattern and are suitable for children over three to play with [some have small parts such as ribbons and buttons].  Each and every one have instant appeal as all my little visitors have proved and I know at least two of these have found homes already  :-).....and the best bit is I love making them  :-) :-)

Here is my desk today.  These are the next three little dolls in the making...three more little girl dollies and lots of finishing off still to do.  Each doll is different so if you have a little person in your life I'm certain there will be one to suit.

That's it from me today.  Please leave me a little hello comment before dashing off to Julia's blog to join in the WOYWW fun.  Hope you all have an exciting week [I have lots planned for this week and will share more after the events [yes there is more than one on the cards for this week]....aren't I a tease?].

Hugs to you all,

Annie x

WOYWW...with a request

Happy Wednesday everyone.  February??????  What happened to January?  Where is the year going?  Life really does go quicker as you get older doesn't it?  Come on girls we just have to fill each day with something special.

So what have I crammed into my week this week?

• Shopping for fabric in Hereford on Saturday....more about that later.
• Family time on Sunday....see previous post
• Fun time on Monday.....a must in my week  :-)  But this week started off cutting those dreaded curtains that we couldn't do last week....the customer decided to have each curtain just 1 1/2 widths of fabric wide instead of two so this made them possible....still not a great job because the pattern hadn't been printed straight on the fabric....and this is pretty important when you have to cut one length down the middle and match it!
• More fab family time on Monday afternoon when M called in for a visit with the twinnies so Jo and T could see them  :-)
• I've finished the latest batch of little African dresses you saw on last week's post 

Here they are hanging on my rail.  This brings my number up to 98...wahoo only two more to go til I reach 100  :-)

• Bread making pretty much every other day....I refuse to buy bread rolls now  :-)
• Baked a quiche, some sausage rolls and a chocolate cake....sorry I can't offer you a slice cos it's all gone  :-)
• Knitting....my latest is a little waistcoat for baby Sam in a gorgeous green Crofter wool so it will look like fairisle....will show it off when I've finished it.
• Doll making....I've got to replace the ones my gorgeous Granddaughters fell in love with on Sunday and insisted they were far too special to be left here with Nanny Annie plus I'm working on a new little Mr Tumble lookie likey doll
• I guess there must have been a bit of cooking and cleaning done too  :-)

So on my desk today is...

• A cut out 'have a first go' at making a little Mr Tumble lookie likey doll
• my pins and of course two pairs of scissors  :-)
• 4 new pieces of fabric that I bought at Doughty's in Hereford on Saturday...the one with little dogs on has already been made into a 'V' cushion cover for the twins to have at home.

 

And as you can see they approve  :-)

Now I have a request for all my wonderful blogging friends out there in the world......I am looking for some bright blue cotton material with little yellow stars all over and some bright yellow material with thin blue stripes and I'm really struggling to find either.  Doughty's had more material than a girl could imagine but the only stripe anything like was what you can see on my table and it's not perfect cos it also has red, green and white stripes too  [ I'm such a fussy pants as you will all know by now  :-) ].  I only need a metre or two of each of them but I have searched the web and so far not been lucky.  Do any of you know of a stockist that has either of them?  Pleaseeeeeeeee

The only other pic I am including today is this one...

One of my daffodils my hubby bought me on Friday to brighten up your day as much as they did mine  :-)

He's such a darling  :-)

Hope you all have a great week and leave me a little 'hello' comment before popping over to Julia's blog to join in the WOYWW fun.

Hugs,

Annie x

And then there was one....

Do you remember this pic?

Well they were still sitting there yesterday morning but then we had little visitors [and a few big ones too]...

Little Lulu just loves her Uncle Mark especially at story time.

Phoebe is a jigsaw whizz kid and just loves doing a big floor puzzle to impress her Aunty Gina.

Here's the latest pic of 'little' Steve with Amy.  I'm sure she must have developed extra muscles since she had him.  Amy is back to a size 8 now and must feel pretty clever at 'making' that little man and feeding him til now on just breast milk!  He is such a good baby too.

The little dolls were a huge success.  Even though Nanny Annie had intended keeping them here for all our Grandbabies to play with they were so well loved that two had to go home with two little girls  :-)

They are just the perfect size to be dangled by the hand and cuddled  :-)  There were tears at the thought of leaving them here [what a huge compliment] so Nanny will make some more now :-)......I know, I'm just a big softie but that's what Grandbabies are for....spoiling  :-)

WOYWW.....

Good morning to all who pass by here  :-)  Brrrrrrrrr it's a cold one.  I hope you're all tucked up in the warm today and all those that have been feeling poorly are now feeling much better.

I have a few pics today to show you what has been going on in the world of Annie this week...

Monday was another fab fun day with, much older sister, Jo and our friend T.  Jo and I set to in the morning and cut out another 14 dresses with the latest donated bedding parcels.....Jo has already made loads from the 88 dresses we cut out from the Saturday mammoth cutting session that featured in my celebration fun quiz [alas my work load has been manic the last two weeks so I haven't manage to make even one little dress].....

For those that haven't already seen....Crafty Womble was the lucky winner and these little parcels are now winging their way to her.  Thanks to all that joined in the fun.

We had a fun afternoon catching up with news, giggling and crafting [drinking coffee and eating chocolate!].

I cut out and started to sew a little dolly made using an 'Oh Sew Dollin' pattern that I bought in 2009 and hadn't got round to using.  I love dolly making and really enjoyed making the latest Mr Tumble lookie likey so thought I'd give my new pattern a go.  My  youngest daughter A bought me the gorgeous tiny print fabric pack to dress the little dollies in so here you can see the pretty pink one I've chosen for my first dolly.  She is a bit fiddly when it comes to the stuffing and I still have to give her a character with her facial features and hair etc so she has still to grow on me.  I shall be adapting the pattern so she is suitable to be played with and not just a collectible because I know that certain little people in my life just may want a play with her.    Speaking of which.......

This is how we finished off a wonderful Monday.  My two gorgeous girls, Brent and my 5 very special little people came to spend the evening with us.  Our room was filled with fun, laughter and lots and lots of love. [from the left the babies are Sam [twin], Steve [youngest], Phoebe [eldest], Louise and Lexi [twin].  This picture really makes me smile.....I'm such a proud mum and nanny and I really love my family times.

Most of you have left me lovely comments about the baby blanket I've been knitting so here is a quick update on it's progress.....

I finished knitting the 30 squares and laid them out on my table to space out the colours. [sorry about the poor lighting]

I stitched the squares into rows and then the rows of squares together in my chosen pattern.

I have since spent my evenings crocheting the border round the outside.....I like to do 2 rows of each colour in double crochet to give a nice wide band and as you can see last night I finished it  :-)  I'm so thrilled with the finished result too.  Can't you just see a summer baby wrapped in those sherbety colours?











I hope you will all leave me a little 'hello' comment before popping over to see Julia and link yourselves in to the fun.  I hope each and every one of you will stay warm and well and have a wonderfully creative week.

Hugs,

Annie x