Mrs. Jones

Book Pocket Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 01:58:00 +0000

I made this book pocket pillow for my niece. I got the tutorial from Melissa Mortenson at The Polka Dot Chair blog. She makes a lot of beautiful sewing patterns.

The polar bear is a Follow the White Bunny embroidery pattern by Nicole Vos van Avezathe. Here is her Etsy Shop. She is ridiculously talented.

I added some top stitching on the back pieces.

The pattern said to put the handle three inches from the outside edges

but I think it was supposed to be three inches from the center.

I added top stitching on the front pocket as well.

The pillow is 18" and the pattern said to cut the fabric at 18" as well, so I was a little nervous that it would be too small after adding a seam allowance. But I followed the instructions and it turned out perfectly. I love it.

Globe Centerpieces

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 16:00:00 +0000

I have some close friends who run a non-profit that does mission trips around the world, and I agreed to help them decorate tables for their first fundraising dinner. I had seen an inspiration photo on Pinterest where someone had painted gold continents on blue globes, so I copied this look and I am really happy with how it turned out.

Each table had a flag from one of the places they had done a mission trip, so we glued floral foam to the inside of the globe to anchor the flags.

We used the centerpieces the next day at an international dinner we had at our church.

Here is a screenshot of the inspiration picture. I would love to give credit to the person who came up with this idea, but the Pinterest pin is just an uploaded photo and I can't figure out where it came from. If you know, please comment and send me the information so I can give credit where credit is due.

Here are the globes taking over my kitchen. FYI, this project took a little more time than I thought it would. But it was totally worth it.

I couldn't find the little reed balls in stores, so I made them myself out of yarn and twine.

I didn't take photos of me making the paper globes, but I basically traced continents onto the globes in gold sharpie (don't use the super-thin gold sharpie. It didn't work at all. I used one of the thicker pens), and then I filled in with gold paint. I got the continents from this Scholastic post. If the continents aren't the right size for the globes, use a copier to adjust the size. I added about 25%.

We bought these 10" lanterns from Amazon that cost about $10 for 10. We accidentally bought too many but that turned out to be a good thing because I messed up a few and needed more. In the inspiration pic, it looks like the globe is sitting in a dish, but that was out of my budget, so I just carefully bent the prongs of the wire frame so it would sit flat.

We bought a pack of beveled mirror squares from Amazon, similar to these. We paid about $20-25 for them. Candles didn't work to light the globes, so we bought these LED lights for about $11 and put three in each globe. It is also much safer than the other lighting options.

I was surprised about how much I loved this twine ball craft. I got the instructions from the blog Key to Flow. I love how cheap it is and you can use them for events, for your home or decorating for holidays. This recipe uses paper mache paste made from flour, sugar and water. I tried the glue recipe I found on Pinterest but it didn't work as well, it was messier, and it was more expensive because I ran out of the paste really fast.

You basically wipe Vaseline on balloons, run yarn or twine through the paper mache paste, wrap it around the balloon and hang to dry. I used ornament hangars to hang them.

The twine worked really well, but the yarn took longer to dry and wasn't as hard as the twine. But they both worked.

Here are a couple in my kitchen. I think for Christmas I am going to hang some on a string of LED lights.

The following week, a friend and I threw a baby shower so we decided to re-use and do a Welcome to the World theme. We hung the globes and put them on the dining table, and my talented friend cut up some old maps and used real globes and old suitcases as well.

One really annoying thing about me is that I always forget to take photos of the things I create at the actual event. So there are no good photos of the paper globes I put on the tables at the shower.

These are clipboards with maps and letters hung on the windows.

We played a pacifier chopsticks game we got from this website. We had a relay race with two groups. The players held a chopstick in their mouth, ran to pick up a pacifier with the chopstick and then passed it down the line. It was a lot of fun. We also played an Around the World matching game from Pinterest, where you match the word "baby" in different languages.

Belt Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 02:32:00 +0000

Today I made a bracelet from an old leather belt and "be brave" stamped on metal. I really love how it turned out.

I learned how on Christy Tomlinson's online Belt Bracelet workshop (here is the link to her workshop).

Look how cool her bracelets are! Check it out.

Buzzfeed Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 15:12:00 +0000

One of my more popular posts, about how to organize embroidery floss, was featured on Buzzfeed. How exciting is that?! Check out Buzzfeed for more decluttering tips.

House Remodel Sneak Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:29:00 +0000

We had a flood in our house last winter and we decided to take the opportunity to replace the floors on the entire main level of our house AND put in a completely new kitchen. Oh, and we are doing most of the work ourselves. We did hire someone to do the tile, and that is going in this week. I will post more photos later, but here is a before and after sneak peek.

Cupcake Purse

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 03:33:00 +0000

I made this cupcake purse for my niece. It was really easy and it turned out cute.

I picked up the pattern at a local quilt shop a long time ago, but you can get it here.

Zippered Pouches

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 14:42:00 +0000

I saw the open wide zippered pouch tutorial on Anna Graham's blog, Noodlehead, and I finally made some of these cute bags for my daughter this week. It was a pretty easy pattern to follow, and I think they turned out great!

I used a Cotton & Steele Paper Bandana print by Alexia Marcelle Abegg (bottom), what I believe is an Art Gallery Fabrics denim (middle), and Robert Kaufman Flame by Carolyn Friedlander (top).

I dug through my craft room and found some suede cord to tie onto the zipper.

I mixed up the fabric, and next time I might try to do some piecing on the outside.

I love the small one the most. I am going to make one for myself today.

I bought her book while I was at it. I think I might try the fabric bracelets project next.

Tissue Holders - Group Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 15:20:00 +0000

I recently took a Women's Empowerment class with some of the ladies from my church, and some new friends as well. It was great to be with a group of encouraging and positive like-minded people. When the class was over, I made a little gift for everyone.

I made tissue holders from the tutorial at Notes from the Patch. They are nice because the little packs of tissues for your purse pop right in and they look better than a plastic bag. Here is the link to when I made them the first time. I have also made this as a teacher thank you gift, too.

I put each one in a paper lunch sack, folded the sack closed and zig-zag stitched across the top. I also stitched across a little scrap of fabric and then tied the fabric. It's my favorite way to wrap gifts.

Wine Tote

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 18:11:00 +0000

I have been wanting to try making some wine totes to use as gifts or to sell for some extra spending cash. Well, I finally got around to it.

I bought this pattern from Pattern Play Designs at Craftsy which was really easy to use. For my trial run, I used some scrap fabric and painter's drop cloth. Because the drop cloth was heavy fabric, I did not use the batting called for in the pattern. After I cut out the pieces, I printed a graphic from The Graphics Fairy, held it up to the window and traced it onto the drop cloth fabric with a sharpie pen. Then I sewed the bag together.

I am really excited about how well it turned out.

Linking to:

Craftsy

The Graphics Fairy

Skip to My Lou Made by You Mondays

The Girl Creative Be Inspired Link Party

Coastal Bathroom

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 20:37:00 +0000

I updated the kids' bathroom.

I normally don't like literal beach decor. Whites, natural fibers and a shell here and there says coastal to me. But I saw this shower curtain on clearance and I broke my rule because I love the bright coral color.

We did a faux board and batten look on the walls. I put laminate plank flooring in all by myself, and I love it (hint: don't get the cheap planks. I paid a little more for these and they were much better quality). Laminate planks float over the old floor, and they seal together so they are good to use in places where there is water. I had to take the toilet out to install the floor, but the Home Depot guy told me how to do it and it wasn't hard at all.

I painted the cabinets with white Annie Sloan chalk paint, and put new knobs on from Hobby Lobby.

I painted the light fixture with an oil rubbed bronze spray paint.

And I bought this iron turtle soap dish on our vacation to the Outer Banks.

My photos aren't very organized, but if I find the before shots I'll add them to the post.

Frozen Lemon Slices

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 20:27:00 +0000

Did you know you can freeze lemons?

This is my lemon ice cube bucket in the freezer.

I am not a fan of plain water, so I love to put lemon slices in my drinks. It tastes better and it's healthy. To keep my lemons from going bad before I use them, and for convenience, I freeze the slices.

I wash and slice them all, and then I place them in a single layer in a big bag (so they don't stick together) and throw them in the freezer.

Now I have a couple week's worth of lemon cubes in a bag in the freezer. This would be nice for a party or wedding/baby shower, too.

Spinach Tangerine Quinoa Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 17:57:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite salads, especially since I have been losing weight on my Beach Body diet (woohoo!). I love putting fruit in salads! I just mix together:

1 1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 or 2 tangerine (chop the segments)
4 chopped strawberries
1/2 cup cold, cooked quinoa
10 chopped raw almonds
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 tangerine,
about 2 tsp of pear-infused vinegar
pepper and sea salt to taste

Teacher Thank You Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 22:53:00 +0000

I made gifts for some my son's teachers. Because we all know how tough it is to teach middle school.

I traced graphics from The Graphics Fairy onto flour sack towels from Target.

I printed the reverse of the images onto embroidery stabilizer. The stabilizer has a sticky side so I stuck it onto the back side of a towel and then held it up to a light (either the window or a plastic box with a flashlight inside) and traced the lines with a Sharpie pen.

The more detail in the image, the more difficult it is. Also, if there are words, don't forget to reverse the image before you print it.

Learning to Read: Use Closed Captioning

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 13:44:00 +0000

Do you have a little one who is learning to read? One easy thing you can do is use closed captioning on the television. Here is a link to a great article my brother wrote on this topic.

Before and After: Coastal Chic Dresser

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 20:41:00 +0000

I bought this hot mess at the thrift store with the plan of painting it and selling it to make a few bucks. Note the plastic barn knobs.

When I was done, I couldn't part with it.

Now it has brass starfish knobs. Much better.

Before and After Drum Table

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:53:00 +0000

Here is a before and after of a drum table I found at the thrift store.

I painted it with Amy Howard chalk pain in Kembel, sanded the edges, rubbed it with stain and rubbed it with Annie Sloan furniture wax. I painted a little gold in the grooves, too, but it's hard to see in the morning light.

Love it!

Baby Rag Strip Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:53:00 +0000

I recently made this rag strip quilt for my niece. It is flannel and soft and I love how it turned out.

The embroidered label was an afterthought, so I stitched it on top, but in hindsight I would have pieced it into the quilt. The handwriting on the label is my daughter's. How much more special does that make the label?!

This is the flat side of the quilt:

I had never done a quilt-as-you-go quilt or a rag quilt, and it was very easy. I used the tutorial for this quilt at Do It Yourself Divas:

I used the Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial for machine binding a quilt. They have great tutorials and quilting fabric.

Crafting Baby Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 22:12:00 +0000

I recently went to a baby shower for a baby boy. Instead of playing games, we crafted. I couldn't finish in time, so I took mine home to finish up.

We each made a scrapbook page and painted a onesie. Here is the scrapbook page I did. It has the Bible verse "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Creator of the sun, moon and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows." James 1:17

I used Paper Studio's Woodland Retreat paper, and I stuck the page in my sewing machine and sewed a border around the page and the frame.

Then I drew this little hedgehog from the paper, and embroidered the design on the onesie (Because I don't paint!!).

I had to add a bow tie on the little guy. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

I Sewed an Apron

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:39:00 +0000

I made this apron as a thank you gift for a friend. She made a delicious meal for me after I had surgery. I used this tutorial from the blog Stitches in Play (thank you!).

I used some Heather Bailey floral fabric. It was pretty easy, and I think it turned out great.

Also, the farm chair is a trash item that I painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Tiny Cherry Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:04:00 +0000

Tonight I made these tiny cherry pies.

I used 1 pie crust recipe (see below). I rolled out the crust and cut 12 - 4.5" circles using a Tupperware lid. I pressed the circles into a muffin tin and filled them with cherry pie filling (I used one can for all 12 pies). For the top crust I cut 2.75" circles with a cookie cutter, and cut little hearts out of the center with a miniature cookie cutter. I didn't press the edges together and learned the hard way why the edges should be pressed together: so all the filling doesn't bubble out the sides. Oh well.

Top with a scoop of ice cream if you like.

Pie Crust

1. Mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flower and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture is similar to course meal.

2. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more). Do not overwork.

3. Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4. Roll dough out onto a floured surface.

My Other Favorite Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 31 May 2014 15:02:00 +0000

This is my other favorite breakfast (to see the first one, click here):

2 Scrambled eggs
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped spinach
Fry in a little bit of coconut oil and sprinkle with Turmeric, 2 TB salsa, 1/8 c. shredded cheese, salt and pepper.
Top with 1/4 avocado, sliced

Turmeric is a spice that is extremely healthy. Here is the one I use Simply Organic Turmeric. There is a long list of health benefits, which includes lowering inflammation, promoting healing, fighting alzheimer's disease and cancer, and it's good for your skin. I also take these Turmeric Supplements.

Have a blessed day!

My Favorite Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Thu, 29 May 2014 20:53:00 +0000

This is my favorite breakfast:

Cold quinoa

Sugar Free Vanilla Coconut Milk

Raw Almonds

Sliced strawberries (or other fruit such as blackberries or raspberries)

I have never been a big fan of almond milk, because it just seems thicker and not as refreshing as milk. I love coconut milk and find it to be a great substitute for milk.

Why I Love Outdoor Rugs for Inside ...

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:30:00 +0000

Vintage Beach Chic

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 18:04:00 +0000

I have always loved Andrea Singarella's jewelry. I was recently drooling on her blog and saw that she is doing a Vintage Trinket Jewelry e-course where she actually shows you how she makes her gorgeous jewelry, and it's only $10.00. Seriously. So I signed up, and it was totally awesome!

This is my first necklace. Even though I live in Virginia, I am a transplant from California, so I made a vintagy necklace with a beachy theme. It has some shell beads, a starfish charm, and a By The Sea tag, which had a blue patina until I varnished it. Grrrr.

Here is a smaller necklace I made to wear together with the bigger necklace. It has a little turquoise starfish bead.

And here is a necklace I made as a gift for someone as part of the Facebook Pay it Forward challenge I did.

It says "Be The Change", short for "Be the change you want to see in the world." This is supposedly a quote by Gandhi, or an inspiration thought inspired by Gandhi, but I'm not certain of its authenticity beyond being a favorite Internet quote.

Regardless of who said it, it's still a good thing to say.

Game Card Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Jones) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:58:00 +0000

I recently sewed a gift for a good friend. We taught her family how to play Nertz, so I made a drawstring bag to hold game cards. (If you want to learn how to play Nertz, click here.)

I sewed an applique to the front with the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "It is a happy talent to know how to play." The floral fabric is by Amy Butler.

The bag is completely reversible and this is what it looks like on the inside.