KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE MY BLOW DRYER RUN!

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Merry Christmas!


I think decorating cookies will become a tradition with the grandchildren! These are the best looking cookies ever!


I did these on 2 separate days as it is very hard to get everyone together at once! Cam in the back and Jax up front, are now 4!!!! The recently moved into a new house and it is gorgeous!


Cam is taking his decorating very seriously.....


Jax is too!


Brynnie did pretty good for an almost 3 year old! I used holiday cocktail knives to add to the festive time and the size was perfect for their little hands.


Finnegan is almost 5 and was very meticulous.


I was so happy Maddy, who is now 12 could join in as she had a day off from school. She is a good helper! Now if I could get a hold of the other 3 grandchildren, maybe next year!


Finnegan even dressed in red for the pictures (-:


Baby Piper is already 4 months old! She is so sweet and a good baby. Next year I am sure she will be in on the fun.


I think Brynnie ate more than she decorated. Do you think she has enough sprinkles?


They spread out this quilt all on their own and asked me to take their picture. A sure way to this grandmother's heart.


I have a fun and quick decoration for you. Saw up some branches and drill a 3/8" hole in the top. Cut off some evergreen branches, add a little ornament and you have a cute table setting idea! I made 19 in about 10 minutes, not hard and they look so cute!
I will probably not be back until the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Kelly

Monday, December 16, 2019

Trixie Zipper Pouch



If you are looking for a fast and cute gift, this is it! It is such a great looking pouch that I want to make more! You can find the pattern here, Sewing Illustrated



The 2 things that take the longest are quilting the fabric (not long at all) and picking out the fabrics!


It was fun to add one of my own tags and a cute little charm that I bought from The Cherry Chick


The raw edges on the inside have a nice finish detail that I really like.


Once you turn the bag it looks good and fits it there nice and snug.


The one thing I did differently than the pattern was to hand sew the binding on before I put in the zipper. I felt like it gave me a better finish than sewing it down along with sewing the zipper!


Sorry this is blurry but because I hand sewed it down first I was able to nicely sew along the edge while installing the zipper, without worrying about missing the edge. This will make sense if you choose to make one!.


So of course I had to make another and I followed the directions almost exactly. I think I like my way better!


Make sure you use a foam stabilizer! I think that is key to the nice shape. I used Soft & Stable because that is what I had on hand. As you can see it stands up perfectly. Also use the larger size zipper (16") or you will not be able to sew it in very easily.....I know this first hand!


I also changed the size of the crosshatching. Mine are 1/2" apart made with my walking foot and I think it looks appropriate to the size of the pouch.


I really like how nice and wide it opens.


The little charms are the strawberry on top!


I received this for my birthday and I think it is terrific! A Nancy Drew Tote bag!


The tag is also adorable and very creative!


I am always amazed with the things people come up with!

Kelly



Saturday, December 14, 2019

Blog Hop Day!


Hello and welcome to my blog, Pinkadotquilts. I hope you have enjoyed visiting all the blogs in this Holiday Favorites Blog Hop 2019. I know I have enjoyed seeing how quilts are used to celebrate the Christmas Season!
This quilt hangs up year round but looks pretty perfect in December. I do love this quilt and it makes me happy every time I see it.



I hang seasonal quilts in my front hall and this one went up right after Thanksgiving! I love vintage things and the blues and pinks in this quilt add to that vibe!


Some of you may remember the quilt along years ago called "Beyond the Cherry Trees" This was the start of mine that was going to be queen sized. As you can see it is now a runner! At least it is being used.....


The early morning sun is shining on my Putz houses. I have vintage ones and new ones.


This is the only place I want to see deer in my yard!!! How about that little pink one. I think all of these were purchased at Target a few years ago.


Vintage Putz houses.


This little cherry quilt works for many seasons but I love how it contains some of my Christmas treasures. I love mixing the new and the vintage. The cookie jar is one of my favorites!


Here's a great gift for that hard-to-buy-for person. My daughter bought this for me last year for my birthday. I think if you go online you will be able to get more information.


Very vintage pictures are my favorite at Christmas.


Along with my tinsel tree!


This scrappy runner was made using leftovers from Christmas/winter fabrics and is perfect on my island counter that gets a lot of use. It is easy to wash if I spill something on it.

I love this scene and my grandchildren love it too! They are always playing with the cars! The pincushion truck was given to me by fellow blogger, Barb Vedder of Fun With Barb who will be along later in this hop on December 18th.


Here is a quick and fun craft project. Find a glass jar, vintage is especially nice. Fill it with Kosher Salt, this one is regular salt because the store was out of kosher. Use miniature figures found at craft stores and little tiny bottle brush trees and place them inside. This snowman is a vintage candle that I have used for years.


This is a candy jar with a giant deer!


Another easy project is to add pom poms to some presents. We saw these at a craft sale this past weekend for $7 each! Mix up red, green and white yarn for some added punch or better yet use your leftover yarns to make them colorful! This is a good idea for anytime!


We received this very old (1800's) Governor Winthrop desk from my mother-in-law when she down sized. It is the perfect place to highlight some bottle trees and a new  "old" tree skirt.


I always am looking to add my own spin on things and have collected sewing tomatoes over the years and placed them in a big jar. The red is perfect for Christmas and just plain fun!


A favorite quilt and a pillow made by a friend adds some holiday color in my family room.


Stockings are from MODA a long time ago and represent each of my 4 children, with the snowmen looking on.

With 9 grandchildren, I'm going to need a bigger table for the pictures!


I have done away with a big tree and do a table top one now. I love using my Santa quilt as a backdrop on the table. The grandkids love it! My hope is that when they are older they will remember that great big Santa on the table! The snowman quilt still needs a binding.



These 2 little quilts always get comments on how cute they are! One hangs in the kitchen and one in the powder room. I keep them up all winter long.


Lastly I always decorate my plants with all kinds of holiday picks! It's so easy and the colors really brighten and add to the holiday feeling throughout the house. The white trees on the ends are decorated with twinkle lights and special ornaments from the grandchildren.


This is the best part of Christmas to me. The best presents ever!


The blog hop has been so much fun! Please be sure to hop on over to the other blogs and see some other wonderful things! Thank you Lori for a very inspiring hop!