This week's smiles....week 404

 Oh what a week.  I managed to make 12 Memory bears around a wonderful weekend in Blackpool.  We went up on Saturday morning and were treated to a really sunny day.  We booked into a Travelodge for the night and caught a tram from just over the road to right outside the Tower Ballroom....couldn't have been better.

Our little Lexi really did us proud.  She danced her heart out with her group.  They performed two different dances and really made our hearts sing.  It was so very special to see them in such a huge venue and their dance teacher should be very proud of herself for their performances.

The only other things I have for you is a couple of collages of funnies....I hope none offend and something here makes you smile.

Have a great week my friends.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW....

 Hello all and happy Wednesday to you all.  It's been a very busy week here while I've been here....we had a night over in Blackpool on Saturday to watch Lexi dancing at the Tower Ballroom.  Lots of very proud moments and I will share a few pics on Friday if you'd like to see.

On my desk this week has been a lot of bear making.

I managed to cut out the 12 bears I had to make before going away so Monday morning saw my desk looking like this....the 9 at the back are already sewn and the 3 on my ironing board are cut out and pinned together ready.

They all needed backing with iron on interfacing to stabilise them so that meant cutting out 48 panels to make the 12 bears!!

I had the help of my bear stuffer...he's a gem.  We make a great team.

I managed to make these 9 on Monday.  They are made in memory of a much loved Grandad and the two on the front with purple on also had panels added to remember a daughter/mum.

I made these three yesterday in memory of a 14 year old young man who died on his quad bike....so sad.

I get to share so many sad stories but I know just how much these bears will help his family.

That's all from me for this week.  I hope you're all keeping well and happy.  I hope to pop to see what you're busy with when I can find a minute between my sewing jobs.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 403

 Hello all.  If you read my Wednesday post you will see that I am busy with sewing this week...mainly the 12 Memory bears I have been asked to make so I have lots to smile about.

One of my biggest smiles was that Little Louie came to us on Tursday and for the first time in, what seems like weeks he was well.  It had been such a nasty virus so it was soooooo lovely for him to be better.  Here he is trying on his Daddy's kick boxing helmet...what a cutie.

The only other things I have to share with you this week are a few funnies.

I will have lots to smile about this weekend because we are off to the Tower Ballroom at Blackpool to watch Lexi dance....I'm so excited and plan to take a few tissues with me for the proud moments....I'm a big softy at heart.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

 I've been making the best of the lull before the storm here this week...

I finished off the little rabbit bags I showed you last week and now have a basket full.

I have also made 10 little felt carrots to hold little chocolate rabbits....these are for the charity I sew for and were fun to make.

I had to buy a new magnetic pin holder because I dropped my old one...it broke and the pins went to every corner of my room!!  I treated myself to new pins too because a lot of the ones I'd been using were bent or blunt.

That's all from me for today because I will be head down busy sewing now....I have several pairs of trousers coming in today and 12 memory bears coming in before the end of the week!!  It's all or nothing here :-)

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 402

It's been a busy week here with having the boys here for a long weekend [Thursday to Sunday].. Sadly little Louie was very poorly with a virus that caused him to run very high temperatures.  He needed lots of sponging down and hugs [ ...and Calpol/Nurofen] but thankfully I'm hoping he's now on the mend.  His Daddy took him to see a Dr on Saturday morning but she couldn't find anything that was obviously causing the high temperatures saying it was probably just a virus.

We did manage some lovely crafty time with them both while they were here....they painted a garden gnome or garden dinosaur each, decorated several wooden key rings and did some amazing building from our crafty box of goodies....they love creative play.

Lexi entered several dancing competitions on Sunday and came away with a second in her Jazz solo, second in her Commercial Solo, a first in her Senior dance team performance and her group also won the overal Ist in the whole team performance.

She  was also given the award for the most potential in the morning's competition....talk about a superstar.  We are so very proud of her.

Sam had his first day session with Emil Dale Associates down in London.  He came home buzzing.  It sounded like he had an awesome day. :-)

The only other things I have to share are a few funnies.  I hope something here makes you smile and you will leave me a little comment before linking up to your own smiles at the bottom of the page.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Here we are at another Wednesday's catch up with our creative friends all around the world by linking up over at Sarah's Craft Shed.....we're a friendly group so why not join in the fun?

I have been updating my Memory Bear folder that holds a photo of every one I've made...and the latest ones have brought the numbers up to 882.

I love looking back through my folder and looking at all the special ones I've made.

On my desk today is a, fast filling, basket full of little Easter bunnies [each one contains little chocolate eggs].  These will go to raise funds for the Harry Johnson Trust.

That's all from me for this week folk.  If you leave me a little message so I know you've called in 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 401

 If you read my Wednesday post you will see that I was feeling pretty rough...and I still am sadly.  It's a case of teaching your grandchildren to share and they, of course, even share their bugs.   Hopefully it will go soon because it's sapped my energy levels and we have the boys for a long weekend this weekend so I think I will be needing all the energy I can summon :-)

Monday night we had a session with a dog trainer with Peggy and, as you can see she was 'dog tired' after.  The trainer said she did very well and is a fast learner .  We have had training sessions every day since and she seemed to have grasped the idea of what is expected of her.

I'm labelling this photo 'the promise of things to come'.  There are signs of Spring in every corner of our garden and I love it....that's got to make you smile surely?

I saw this on Facebook and it made me chuckle...I just felt there are so many of these amongst us.

Can you find yourself or maybe some of your friends?

Of couse, I have also found you some funnies...I hope something here makes you smile.  Please leave me a little message before linking to your own smies at the bottom and stay well and happy.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

Happy Wednesday to you all and I really hope you're feeling rather better than me.  Last Thursday we had a poorly Louie with us all day and he needed lots of cuddles [and calpol to keep his temperature down].  Needless to say he shares everything and since the weekend we have both been full up with the bug....high temps and a streaming head cold :-(  Hopefully it will go soon and my energy levels return.  I do have a few things to share with you [and no, I don't mean the head cold ].... 

This is my best news....I found my needle holder with all my favourite needles in it....and yes of course I had bought new ones!!  It was in the bottom of my handbag with some red thread and some snippers....I have no idea when I put it there or what I had been doing :-)

Just glad I've found it.

More good news....I've been restocking my fat quarters.  I used so many at Christmas time that my box was nearly empty.

A customer called in Monday morning with clothes that belonged to her father in law hoping I could make her 5 Memory bears for the family....two of them were to have little ties made out of his favourite blue tie.

I really enjoyed making these even though I was feeling pretty rough and, because of that, they took a little longer than normal.

I did have a little help from my bear stuffer and he had two fur babies interested to learn....actually Peggy usually chews a hole in her toys and pulls the stuffing out so I'm not sure they would make good bear stuffers lol

That's all from me for this week.  I will do my best to pay you a visit if you leave me a little message [head cold allowing of course].

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 400

 Happy Friday to one and all.  Look at the number at the top....400!!!..... that's a lot of smiles isn't it?

 I hope you've all had lots to smile about this week...I know I have :-)

We had a long weekend with the boys last weekend....and yes, it's tiring but, I wouldn't have it any other way.  Lots of memories were made and those little boys love spending every minute with their  daddy.....it's so very special to be part of.

The only other thing I have to share with you this week is the funnies because it's been a very busy week with sewing [check out the list on my Wednesday post].  I love it when I'm kept busy as you know and although I'm retired why would I stop sewing when I love what I do?

I saw this one and it is soooooo me :-)

Please leave me a little message before linking to your own smiles at the bottom of the page.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW.....

 Hello all.  I've no bears to share this week.  It's been a busy week here at Sewing by Annie's though.

I've ...

• Shortened a nurse's dress for one customer
• Shortened the sleeves on a nurse's tunic top for another customer [I've known this one since she was born and she's now very pregnant with her first baby and it's really lovely to share this with her]
• Shortened 2 pair of jeans for a man I was at primary school with
• Shortened 4 pair of trousers for an elderly lady
• Shortened the sleeves on a Man's shirt [his sleeve had got caught in his stair lift and tore].  It's now a short sleeved shirt and will be a surprise for him on his 95th birthday as it was his favourite shirt.
• Shortened 3 pair of trousers for another lady and.....

Finished of 12 Lucky Cluckies for the charity....here they are finished and on the march :-)

Here's my little buddy Peggy who has lost her ball under the cupboard in my sewing room...she wont fit under there much longer :-)

That's all from me for this week.  I hope you enjoyed a little insight into the world of a busy sewing lady.  Please leave me a little message and I will do my best to pay you a return visit when I am able.

Hugs,

Annie x

This week's smiles....week 399

 Another week with lots of smiles here at Sewing by Annie's.  I've been kept busy with sewing and that always makes me smile....I've even altered the straps of a spider outfit [see Wednesday for a pic].  There is never a dull moment here.

We had a visit from a cock pheasant in our back garden this week...thankfully the dogs didn't notice him.

Our little Peggy is fast growing...I'm sure she is already bigger than Milly was and she is quite the little character now.

Here she is sat me while I'm sewing little mice together one evening...I'm sure she watched every stitch :-)

Finally I've put together a couple of collages of funnies for you...I hope they make you smile.

Please leave me a little message before linking up to your own smiles below.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW...

 Hello all.  I've been kept busy here at Sewing by Annie's this week....

I made these two lovely bears in memory of a special Mum.

I made these two in memory of a special Dad.

Then, I made this pretty bear in memory of a Nan, using her pretty nightie and a brother using his favourite shirt...I love hearing about the special people I am asked to make Memory bears for.

Never a dull moment here....I was then asked to make the straps to fit under this 'dressing up as a spider' outfit for this service dog who is trained to go into care homes.  This is her outfit for Halloween...I'm not sure what I think about a huge spider visiting me in my care home as I really don't like spiders. [It was bad enough working on this one lol ].

I've also been working on the little outfits for the Christmas mice...this is the first I've finished so far.

My next project was to plan some little Easter chicks to make for The Harry Johnson Trust....Here is the first all pinned together to see what I thought of my design.  I'm going to call them Cluckles  :-)

I have now cut out a dozen Cluckles and they are all ready to be put together in front of the telly....watch this space, as they say.

That's all from me for this week.  If you leave me a little message I will go 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 398

 We've had another lovely/busy weekend here at Sewing by Annie's.

We had the boys for the weekend and lots of happy memories were made by all.   We did all sorts of creative things including decorating little peg dolls and having fun with Nanny's crafty box of goodies...they are such lovely boys and are growing up so fast. 

The only other things I have to share with you are this week's funnies and there seems a lot to share...but most are too funny to be left out.  I hope none offend and they make you smile.

Please leave me a little comment and then link up your own smiles at the bottom.

Hugs,

Annie x