This week's smiles....week 256

Here we are at the end of yet another busy week for me.  Lots more sewing, many more Memory bears made and spare time has been spent making little dolly clothes......

.......and this is why I do it....

Here's Phoebe and Lulu all ready for bed in their pyjamas and dressing gowns holding their dollies all dressed for bed too.

And here they are all ready for school with their dollies all ready in their school uniform too.  I just love little girls to stay little girls for as long as they can....they grow up quick enough so it's so lovely to see them playing with their dollies.

I must say though that their mummy has now set them up with their own email addresses so I now get emails of thanks from them both and they really make me smile too :-)

Also here's Lexi with her dolly wearing the little pink / black dress with the matching black leggings.  It makes all the effort worth while just to see their happy faces with their dollies and their new fashions.

Can you see what has also been making me smile this week too?....you might have to click on the photo to enlarge it but there are little snowdrops in flower in the corner of our garden......wahooooooo Spring is on it's way.

I love Spring so the first signs it's on it's way always makes me smile.  We also have daffodils shooting up everywhere too so I have lots to smile about.

I hope you have enjoyed my smiles for this week.  Please leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and if you can then link up to your own smiles below.....I really do love seeing what makes you all smile each week so many thanks to those who join in the fun.
Hugs,
Annie x

WOYWW....

Oh wow what a busy desk I've had here this week....the work keeps flooding in, my sewing rail has filled and emptied a few times and orders for my Memory bears have also kept me busy. My special offer for 10% off for my Facebook followers has been taken up by many.

So I am quickly going to show you my latest Memory Bears.....

These two were made from silk ties....I love how they've turned out.

The one on the left was made from a pyjama jacket and the one on the right out of a dressing gown.

I so love the fact that each one takes on it's own charachter.

This one was made from a much loved mum's coat that had been hanging in the wardrobe many years....isn't she beautiful?  I love that she has given the coat a new lease of life and is now giving a lot of comfort to my customer.

This one came with a very sad story.  He's been made out of the pair of job bottoms a young man was found in when he collapsed and died at just 21 years old [cause still not known].  

I just know this bear is going to give a lot of comfort to the grieving family so am really chuffed at being able to make it for them.

As you can imagine there hasn't been a lot of spare time for making dolly clothes this week but I have managed to make this little dress....it has 4 layers of net underskirt!  [Maybe another you might fancy Jan?]

It still needs a pair of matching leggings to go with it....and of course I will now have to make 2 more for the other girls.  :-)

Thats all from me for this week.  I have two [possibly three] more Memory bears ordered that are coming today so I will be head down sewing but will do my best to pop over to yours at coffee break times.  Thanks for your lovely comments each week.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 255

Phew! what a week it's been here at Sewing by Annie's  I have never know a January soooooo busy before with customers......I'm buzzing.  I've made 4 Memory bears and still have two more to make yet plus have several other challenging jobs to do too........so I have lots to smile about as you can imagine.

I have a couple of pics to share plus a couple of funnies that just made me chuckle.

My hubby and our son Mark are Shrewsbury Town football supporters and as their footy team are doing rather well this season Mark has treated Theo to his first football kit which, as you can see he is rather happy to be wearing......doesn't he just melt your heart?

Here he is sat on his daddy's knee, both wearing their footy shirts ....and they both melt my heart.....but of course I'm biased.  :-)

This funny popped up on my Pinterest page and it made me chuckle....it's my new motto  :-)

And as I'm short and fat this one also applies to me.  :-) :-)

Hope I've made you smile today.  Please leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and if you can then please link to your own smiles below.  Have a great week filled with smiles my friends.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

Another week....another Wednesday....and another catch up with the creative desks around the world.  It's my favourite day of the week.  Life here continues to throw me challenges and my customers keep a steady flow to my door.....and I'm loving it.

So here's what you've come here to see. My desk.....

Firstly I thought I'd show you that I managed to tame the dolly skirt.  I stitched a row of narrow elastic to the inside of the waist band and hey presto.....I've not tried it on the dolly yet but it's looking promising now.

I've made another cute little outfit.

I've also made three dolly dressing gowns.....when you have three little granddaughters you have to make enough to share.

I thought you might also like to see my latest little Memory Bear.  I've made him in memory of a special husband, dad and grandad who died on Christmas day.  It's always sad when you lose a much loved family member especially at Christmas but this one was someone I knew too so I'm really hoping the love I put into making him will give the family a lot of comfort.

That's all I have to share with you this week so if you'd like to leave me a little comment to let me know you've called by I will try to pop over to yours as soon as I can.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles.....week 254

Another week has flown by....and I've had lots to smile about.  I have a few pics to share with you of course so here you go....

Some of our family got together last weekend and I really love this photo they sent me....they all get on so well together.

Part of their meal was a sharing ice cream but I just love the look on little Theo's face when it was put in front of him........'have I got to eat it all mymmy?'

fab

You will guess that I have many boxes filled with fabric but when I need something for a special job I can always guarantee that there is never enough to make what I have in mind and this week has been one of those weeks.....so of course I had to order more!  Here is the parcel that arrived but of course I now have a big problem!!!

Which do I use first....or do I spend some time stroking it first?......I will add that I have already taken my scissors to some of it but will share my makes on my Wednesday post.

There you go......just some of my smiles that I can share with you.  Please leave me a little hello comment so I know you've called in and if you can please also link up to your own smiles below.

Many thanks to those who join in each week.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

What a week it's been here at Sewing by Annie's.  I don't think I've even had so many customers in my first week back after the Christmas break before.

 Just look at my rail.....

I have...

• Put a new 26" open ended zip in a jacket
• Shortened a dress
• Taken a dress in on the sides
• Shortened the sleeves on a suit jacket
• Put new elastic in a pair of trousers
• Shortened 3 pair of gents trousers and 
• Put a new zip in a pair of jeans

So you will imagine there's not been a lot of time for making dolly clothes but I will show you what I have done....

I was able to borrow Phoebe's new dolly to measure her properly and here she is modelling the first out fit I've completed.
The top is all fully lined and they have to be made with just 1/4" seams throughout plus I like to overlock seams  so they are probably the best made dolly clothes around.

I've since made a pair of turquoise cord trousers and a shiny, stretchy top to wear with them.....can you imagine making the top?  It has gathered sleeves and being stretchy it really needed all my patience to make it but I'm sure the effort was worth it.

Now I've added this to make you giggle.  I have followed the pattern to make a skirt using tulle!  It was a job and a half to make and when finished it looked like it does on the left pic!!
I have now tied a piece of elastic around it to see if it would be tamed a little.  :-) :-)
I'm not sure what it will look like on the dolly but I'm sure it will make the girls giggle.


That's all from me for today.  If you leave me a comment I will do my best to pay you a return visit.  Hope you have a great week.
Hugs,
Annie x

This week's smiles....week 253

Well......there is was, gone.  No sooner than Christmas was coming than it's been and gone and so has the New Year celebrations so life can return to normal for another year.

So here we are on the first Friday of 2018 and I'm thankful that life is still giving me plenty to smile about.  Here you go......

Milly is sat watching us doing the Christmas jigsaw....yes she likes to sit on a stool up at the table so she doesn't miss out on the fun!

Amy's three children were late finishing school before Christmas so are later than most going back after the holidays and have been enjoying this week with their mum.

Phoebe wanted to make some cakes so she has, all by herself weighed and measured the ingredients and made a really yummy batch of buns......Amy was proud that she was able to make them and I was even prouder because her mummy had spent the time with her to teach her so she could do it.  Just look how she decorated them too.....well done Phoebe.

Lulu was given a kit to decorate your own birdhouse for Christmas and she has had a lovely time decorating and making it....here she is proudly showing it off to me.

They were given some money for Christmas and, as a special treat, Amy took them to a local build a bear factory for them to choose and make their own special furry friend.

Well that's my smiles for this week.  Leave me a little comment so I know you've called by and, if you can, then please link up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

Here we are at the first Wednesday desk share of 2018 so I would like to wish you all a really Happy New Year and let's hope we can all enjoy our sharing for another year.....it's such a wonderful way of making friends [many of which I've now met in real life].

So onward quickly to see what's on my desks today....

For those asking if we have finished our jigsaw here it is all done and it's now back in it's box so we can now eat at the table again....but I will say that we have put a cloth over the top while it was in the doing so we could eat there too.

We have been doing a bit of ice cream making over the holiday too.  I bought my hubby a machine for Christmas because he loves ice cream.  This was a vanilla ice cream with broken oreo biscuits churned into it and was really yummy.....if you want the recipe then please just shout.

My little granddaughters had 18" dolls for Christmas so I have bought a couple of patterns to make a few clothes for them....this one arrived quickly so....

 ....I've spent a little of my free time cutting out the 31 paper pattern pieces ready to get started making.

That's all from me for this week.  I shall be busy making Memory bears this week as I have a special offer over on my Facebook and already have several wanting to take up the offer to benefit.  Have a great week my friends.

Hugs,

Annie x