Friday, April 10, 2020

JoyfulRose Face Mask Comfort Band Ideas and Tutorials

After wearing my mask to get groceries last week I discovered that the mask elastic made my ears hurt! It made me feel so bad for all of our medical workers who wear masks all day long. :( I fell asleep trying to think of ideas that would help, and here they are!

There are 5 different ideas: Pipe Cleaner, Elastic with sewn-on buttons, Grosgrain Ribbon with sewn-on buttons, Grosgrain Ribbon with snaps, and Hook & Loop (velcro).

Click image to view full size:

Click on the following links for individual instructions for making each type of Comfort Band:

Elastic and Buttons
https://joyfulrosedesigns.blogspot.com/2020/04/joyfulrose-face-mask-comfort-bands.html

Ribbon and Buttons:
https://joyfulrosedesigns.blogspot.com/2020/04/joyfulrose-face-mask-comfort-bands_10.html

Ribbon and Snaps:
https://joyfulrosedesigns.blogspot.com/2020/04/face-mask-comfort-bands-ribbon-and-snaps.html

Hook and Loop (Velcro):
https://joyfulrosedesigns.blogspot.com/2020/04/face-mask-comfort-bands-hook-and-loop.html

JoyfulRose Face Mask Comfort Bands: Elastic with Buttons

Tutorial for making Face Mask Comfort Bands: Elastic with Buttons

Click on image to view full size:

JoyfulRose Face Mask Comfort Bands: Ribbon and Buttons

Tutorial for Making Face Mask Comfort Bands: Ribbon and Buttons 

Click on image to view full size:

JoyfulRose Face Mask Comfort Bands: Ribbon and Snaps

Tutorial for Making Face Mask Comfort Bands: Ribbon and Snaps.

Click on image to view full size:

JoyfulRose Face Mask Comfort Bands: Hook and Loop (Velcro)

Tutorial for Making Face Mask Comfort Bands: Hook and Loop (Velcro). 

Click on image to view full size:

JoyfulRose Fitted Face Mask Tutorial

Here's a quick tutorial I put together for fitted face masks. Hopefully it's detailed enough to be understood. These take me about 15 minutes to make each one. There are a lot of steps, but the mask goes together fairly quickly.

I love this design! Especially with the long elastic that doesn't hurt my ears. This is my preferred design for myself and family.

Fairly quick and easy to make, especially with the use of a serger and a sewing machine, but you could use just a sewing machine if you don't have a serger.

Pros: fairly easy to make, very comfortable design, contoured design shapes nicely to face, filter sewn-in, reusable (can wash, dry, and iron after every use.)

Cons: a little bit harder to breathe through, seems very intimidating to make at first glance!

Click on image to view full size. :)


Masks I've made thus far:

Revised on 14 April 2020 to add the pattern templates I used :)
Click each image to view full size. Each is on a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. The square is 1" measured on the inside of the square. Hope that helps!





JoyfulRose Pleated Face Mask Instructions

Hi all! I finally finished up the instructions for a pleated face mask with pipe cleaner added to the nose area. These take me about 10-15 minutes to make each one.

Pros: fairly easy to make, comfortable design, fits a wide variety of face shapes, filter sewn-in, fairly easy to breathe through, reusable (can wash, dry, and iron after every use).

Cons: ear bands were very uncomfortable after just a few minutes (see my other tutorial for comfort bands!), elastic was too long for me so the fit wasn't very tight, a bit difficult to iron the pleats after laundering.

Click on image to view full size. :)


All the face masks I've made thus far:

Monday, April 6, 2020

Face Masks Finished!

I finally finished face masks requested by my sweet sister-in-law for her hospital in Massachusetts (she's one of the many amazing nurses working to help people at this scary time).

Also finished face masks for my parents and parents-in-law, and my family! 
Tomorrow I'll work on masks for other family members, as well as a tutorial and the adjusted patterns. :)

First set: pleated pattern based on the one from JoAnn Fabrics. 


Second set: fitted pattern found on YouTube and adjusted larger (for my husband) and smaller (for my little kids).

Our family's face masks: 

These 4 were made using my fabric designs from Spoonflower! 

Sunday, October 20, 2019

My Life-Changing Experience at The Haven Retreat in Utah




A Note: this is perhaps the most vulnerable post I’ve ever shared publicly. Thank you for being kind and supportive in your comments.

Life-changing.

Last month I was blessed to participate in The Haven Retreat in Utah. My experience was: beautiful, emotional, joyful, refreshing, difficult, powerful, a bit scary at times, fulfilling, somewhat anxious, hopeful, and truly life-changing.

The Haven is a retreat for women over 18, who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
It’s run by The Younique Foundation, and it is an incredible experience! The retreat is 4 days long. They provide beautiful and peaceful lodging, yummy and nutritious meals, sympathetic counselors, thoughtful workshops, empowering exercise classes, beautiful art therapy, supportive workbooks and journals, fun entertainment, helpful group therapy, time for reflection, and a lovely makeover and photoshoot. The amazing part? Everything at the Haven is provided FREE for survivors!

*Special Note: If you’re a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, please click on the link below and see if it’s something that might benefit you. You’re worth it.*

I heard about the Haven from a dear friend who encouraged me to go. I was a bit apprehensive. How is something like this provided for free?! What will the other ladies be like? Will people look at me differently there? Can I overcome my anxiety enough to learn anything there? How much of a difference can 4 days really make?

The answer to the last question: an amazingly big difference; in fact, a life-changing difference. Many of the experiences I had at Retreat are too personal for me to share. Too precious. Too hard to put into words. But here are a few things that the Haven helped me with, my: self-worth, confidence, belonging, self-care, strength, and knowledge.

Self-worth: Everyone treated me with respect and kindness. They always referred to us as survivors. They helped me realize that although I can’t change the past, I can change my future. They showed through their attitude that I matter; that I’m important. They taught me that I am not what happened to me. I am who I choose to be! I like who I am now and am excited for the goals I’ve set that will help me become an even better person.

Confidence: I developed greater confidence in myself. A phrase that stuck out to me was, “take up space!” I realized that before Retreat, I instinctively curled into myself and tried to minimize the amount of space I took up. It was a physical act that I did to protect myself emotionally. At the Haven, I was reminded that I have many beautiful talents and abilities that I can (and should!) use to make the world a better place. In the month since Retreat, I’ve noticed that I stand up straighter. I’ve realized that I’m worthy of taking up that space. I am here on Earth for a purpose and I have confidence that I can heal and help others.

Belonging: I was very nervous to go to the Haven. I have a hard time letting my guard down and trusting other people. I was with 23 other women from differing backgrounds and the first day was difficult for me. After participating in classes and workshops with them, however, I discovered that I was sitting among friends. We supported each other as we worked toward a common goal: healing. I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing community of strong women! I’ve made life-long friends who continue to support and encourage me.

Self-care: I learned how important it is to take time for me. Before the Retreat, I felt very worn-down, tired, and depressed. I loved being a Mom of 5 precious kiddos, but I wasn’t taking very good care of myself, and it showed. At the Haven, I was reminded how important it is to take care of myself. Not only physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. As I’ve practiced self-care (spending time reflecting and meditating, setting goals, and doing things I enjoy just for me), I’ve grown in many ways. I have greater confidence. I’m kinder in my thoughts about myself. I’m more patient with my children. I’m a more caring wife. I’m able to help others and be more compassionate towards them. I feel more gratitude for my body and everything it does for me. Even though I’m still very busy with my young family, I now have enough energy to make it though the day (most times. Hehe), and I’m happier. I’m truly enjoying life. And I’m proud to be setting a positive example for my kiddos to follow.

Strength: At the Haven, we were served delicious meals, participated in various exercise classes, and had classes that taught us better sleep habits. They modeled good goals for us, and that has made a big difference in my life. I realized that strengthening my body, mind, and spirit aren’t impossible things, but rather, goals that I can achieve through practicing good habits. Since the Retreat, I drink more water, am more conscientious about my eating habits, have started attending a Tai Chi class, am praying and reading my scriptures to help me grow spiritually, and am trying to better my sleep habits (that’s a work in progress for me!) Because of these changes, I feel stronger than I did before the Retreat.

Knowledge: I have always loved learning. At the Haven, there are so many opportunities to learn new things! Even though it was scary at first, I really enjoyed the classes, workshops, and the Group Therapy sessions. I was initially wary of attending the Group sessions because of my own insecurities, but they became some of my favorite learning opportunities. The other ladies and our counselors were so supportive and open that I was able to relax and allow myself to be vulnerable as I shared some of my experiences and learned new ways to heal.

The Haven didn’t solve my problems and make everything better for me. More importantly, it gave me tools so that I can change my own life. It set me on an amazing path of healing.

Because of The Haven Retreat, I feel empowered. I know that I am important. That the world needs me. That I can share the light and joy I feel with others. I’ve been setting goals and working hard to achieve them. I have a clearer vision of the person I’d like to become, and I’m working toward that. I have a greater sense of purpose.

I’m still learning and growing. I’m imperfect, and that’s ok. I can be patient with myself and with others. I’m looking forward to making the world a better place through my unique gifts and talents. And I’m excited to encourage my children, husband, family, and friends to build up their talents and share them with others.

I’m very grateful that my family supported me, that I pushed through my fears, and that I attended the Retreat. The experiences I had there will help me for the rest of my life and longer.

A huge thank you to Derek and Shelaine Maxfield, for starting The Younique Foundation, and providing the Haven Retreat. You are incredible examples to me.
Thank you to my supportive husband who encouraged me to attend the Retreat and took great care of our five children while I was away.
Thank you to my Mom and family for helping us out.
Thank you to everyone at The Haven Retreat who took care of us and supported us in our healing journey.
Thank you to the sponsors of our week at the Retreat (the Larry H. and Gail Miller Foundation).
Thank you to my fellow Haven ladies, who have become like sisters to me.

Final Note: I debated whether or not I should share this only with family and close friends, but decided that as difficult as it is to make public, if it helps even one person feel courage, strength, or hope, then it will have been worth it.

#thehavenretreat #tyf #nomore1in4 #reclaimhope #defendinnocence #youmatter #empoweredwoman #gratitude #strength #vulnerability #courage #love #metoo



Friday, September 6, 2019

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Recipe Review- Blue Apron: Chicken & Brown Butter Rice with Corn and Tomatoes

We'd just come home from a trip and I forgot to postpone our Blue Apron box; so very glad I did!

This recipe is AMAZING! One of our new favorites. We love it so much that we made it the next week for our friends visiting from Spain!

Pros: ingredients looked nice and fresh on arrival. It turned out just like the picture on the recipe card. Best of all? Our very picky children loved it! 

Cons: recipe steps are tricky to follow. We've discovered that our Blue Apron recipes are more confusing than meal boxes from other companies. This recipe only has 5 steps, but you'll need to read through all of them before starting in order to figure out how everything goes together. 
Time estimate is waaaay off! This one says it'll take 30-40 minutes to make. It took us almost an hour, and this was our 2nd time making it, with 2 people! (It is nice to slow down a bit and enjoy cooking, but if you're in a time crunch, choose a different recipe :) )




Inspired by Blue Apron: Weeknight Hero Spice Blend

Last week I forgot to postpone our Blue Apron order, and I'm so glad I did! Our 2 family sized meals arrived and they were amazing!

We had friends from Spain visit last night and decided to recreate one of the favorites: Chicken & Brown Butter Rice with Corn and Tomatoes.

The only problem? We didn't have the delicious "Weeknight Hero Spice Blend". Oh no!

Here's our take on it. Enjoy!

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Movie Theater Tip

Brought to you by: a clever husband, a cold wife, and @joann_stores

Movie Theater Tip:
I left my jacket at home and knew I'd be cold at the movie theater, so my clever husband stopped by JoAnn Fabrics. I ran in, bought 2 yards of fleece and a cute reusable bag; kept me warm for the movie, and my daughter got a new blanket! #win/win


Monday, July 29, 2019

We're Home! Summer 2019 Reunion and Family Road Trip


We're home!!! We had an amazing time, and are so grateful to be home safe and sound.

Our trip was: wonderful, beautiful, difficult, exhausting, fun, exciting, scary, stressful, learning, growing, blessed, and incredible. So many emotions.

* The first week, my 5 kiddos, my Mom, and I drove from Provo, Utah to Williamsburg, Virginia for the Borrowman reunion. My husband flew and met us there on Sunday (6 days after we'd left home). We had a lovely time with the Borrowmans visiting Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Virginia Beach, playing with cousins, talking with brothers and sisters-in-law, and celebrating my parents-in-law's 50th Wedding Anniversary! I'm so blessed to have such fantastic in-laws.

* The next week, we drove to Gaithersburg, Maryland (where my family had lived when I was in High School!) and stayed with my parents-in-law. They are two of the most gracious, kind, loving hosts! We enjoyed visiting DC, many Smithsonian Museums, Gettysburg, fun with Virginia cousins, yummy food, 4th of July fireworks in DC, and Church. Keith had to fly home that Sunday for work, and it was hard to see him go.

* Our third week, the kiddos had more sleepovers, swimming, and fun with cousins, we met up with long-time friends, and we explored as much of DC as we could! It was hard saying goodbye to my wonderful parents-in-law.

* Our last "week", my Mom and I drove with my 5 kiddos and we visited Niagara Falls, Hill Cumorah, Kirtland, Nauvoo (where we enjoyed spending time with my Uncle Peter and his beautiful new wife, Sarah), and Carthage. Niagara was breathtaking, and the 4 Church History sites were beautiful, thought-provoking, and holy.

* We arrived home last Saturday after midnight, and are slowly getting back to normal life again.

* Our summer road trip was 33 days long, more than 6,400 miles, crossed 12 states, 3 time zones, stayed in many different places (9 hotels, 1 house, 1 AirBnb, 1 RV trailer, and 1 rest stop), and we loaded the car top a total of 13 times! Phew!

* Thankfully, the kiddos did (mostly) well on our travels. They range in age from 3-15, and we discovered that a built-in DVD player is worth its weight in gold! Several weeks before our trip, we'd traded in our 15-year-old minivan for a 4-year-old minivan. It drove beautifully, has 8 seats, our 1st built-in DVD player, and has been a huge blessing for us. Mom and I had mostly good health during our travels (and when 1 of us wasn't feeling well, the other was having a good day; we were watched over!)

* One of the most difficult experiences is when my sweet husband was very sick while we were gone. He had a tooth extracted AND strep throat, an extremely high fever, and he felt miserable. At the time, we had just arrived in Nauvoo (19+ hours away from home). I was so worried about him and feeling awful that I wasn't home to take care of him. My kind sister Tanya took him to InstaCare where he was given a shot for the strep throat, and the next day he had a painful tooth extraction. He's finally feeling better, and I'm glad to be home with him.

* Our Road Trip was difficult but worth it. Spending time with family was the best! We also enjoyed visiting so many historical sites and museums, and learning about our country and Church history (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I had to experience so many amazing things this summer.

* Thank you Keith for working hard and supporting us on our travels. Thank you Mom Cynthia for driving with us and taking care of me and the kiddos (thanks Dad Craig for supporting Mom in going with us!) Thank you Mom Saralyn and Dad Keith Borrowman for hosting us, loving us and our kiddos, and watching out for us. Thank you to my brothers and sisters-in-law for your kindness and friendship, and for raising wonderful children. Thank you to Peter and Sarah for caring for us while we were in Nauvoo. Thank you to my brother and sisters for watching out for my husband while he was home alone. Thank you to our friends far away, who spent time with us while we were visiting. And thank you to our friends at home who've been kind enough to ask about our trip and listen to me talk about it forever. :)

#roadtrip2019 #summer2019 #borrowmanreunion #family #ushistory #churchhistory #williamsburg #yorktown #jamestown #gettysburg #washingtondc #smithsonian #niagarafalls #palmyra #kirtland #nauvoo #carthage

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Sixteen Best Shades of White Paint

In which we compare 16 of the best shades of white.

I'm searching for the perfect shade of white trim for our new house. I had no idea that there were so many different variations! Yellow-toned, blue-hued, bright, warm, cool, etc.

I read a bunch of articles online and put the top 16 most-recommended shades of white into Photoshop. Hope it helps someone else out there. :)






Thursday, October 22, 2015

Choosing a House Color

Choose a house color, they said.
It'll be easy, they said.

Exciting and scary, all at the same time! What if the color I choose turns out to be hideous?!!
(My husband says we can just wear sunglasses and plant very tall trees around the new house. Awesome.)

After hours of research, breakdowns, comparisons, chocolate breaks, and throwing darts at color chips on the computer monitor, I've narrowed it down to 4 colors that I like. Our neighbor's house is also blue, so we're taking that into consideration. :)

Any help would be very welcome! (Click on a picture to view larger)

1st pic: comparing the 4 colors on houses. The last column shows the color of our neighbor's house (on the left), and our house color ideas in the middle (circled).
 2nd pic: showing the 4 contenders.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Making my own shoes: Dritz Espadrilles!

Step 1 to becoming a real Elf: Make your own shoes.
Done and done!

Last week I used kits from Dritz to make shoes for me and my girls. I LOVE how they turned out! And guess what? Making these cute little espadrilles is fairly easy!

The girls love Disney's "Frozen", so all of our shoes are inspired by clothing worn by sisters Anna and Elsa. My girls have only taken off their shoes to sleep and bathe. :)








Thursday, September 10, 2015

Mermaid Tails!

A few weeks ago, my sweet little girls asked if I could make them mermaid tails for swimming! I took out my handy roll of butcher paper and traced each girl to make their tail patterns. For the tankini and shorts, I used a darling pattern from Peekaboo Pattern Shop.

I made them out of shiny swim/dance fabric and Babyville Boutique Foldover Elastic from my local JoAnn Fabric store. I absolutely LOVE how they turned out!

We tried them out the next day at my sister's community pool and they work perfectly. So much so, that my niece knew exactly what she wanted for her birthday present this year. :)





Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Spoonflower Contest Entry: Roses and Lilies

Handwriting, hand-drawn swirls, and vintage 1800's floral sketches are combined to bring to life a gorgeous, antique sketchpad!

Designed especially for the Fabric8: Botanical Sketchbook contest. :) Swirls can be removed for a repeating design:


Saturday, August 15, 2015

Sewing for Baby: Finished!

Finished some last-minute cuddlies for baby! Car seat canopy, boppy cover, minky blanket, jersey blanket...and a couple of gifts for family. :)


Friday, August 14, 2015

Sewing for Baby: Minky Baby Blanket

This is my favorite project so far! Super soft minky, cuddle soft flannel, silky blanket binding....mmm! Can't wait to try it out. :)


Thursday, August 13, 2015

Sewing for Baby: Car Seat Canopy

I LOVE how this turned out! It was the first time I sewed a car seat canopy with bias tape, and I think it looks really sharp. :)



Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Sewing for Baby: Super Soft Jersey Knit Blanket

My sister told me about an incredibly soft blanket the other day and I knew I needed to make a few!

I scoured my local fabric store and found this amazingly soft jersey. Love the color and how stretchy it is. I used the rolled hem function on my serger and was surprised that it only took about 15 minutes to finish each one!


Monday, August 10, 2015

Sewing for Baby: Boppy Cover

Finished this cover the other day and LOVE how it turned out! Soft minky on one side; soft flannel on the other. I've been needing a new cover for awhile. :)

Made the pattern myself and it worked pretty well! (Someday I'll have to ask Mom to teach me how to put zippers in so they look beautiful.)


Friday, June 5, 2015

Spoonflower Contest - Sandcastles

Contest time! I entered my "Sandcastles" fabric in the weekly contest at Spoonflower and would love your vote. :)

Click Here to Vote!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Free Tutorial: Quick and Easy Couch Caddy

Are you having a hard time keeping track of TV remotes? Looking for something to make for Father's Day? Here's the perfect solution!

Click Here to view the entire tutorial at Babyville Boutique!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Is This Fabric Blue and Black or White and Gold?!

Which one should I make?!

I'm afraid that if I choose the wrong one, I'll create a disturbance in The Force, a rift in the space/time continuum, a glitch in the Matrix, the next Civil War, dogs and cats living together, and certain but inevitable betrayal!


Find it here: http://www.spoonflower.com/collections/111340

Friday, December 19, 2014

Free Tutorial: Carefree Cup Cozy

Today I needed a fun, useful gift for my husband's boss. I quickly made a couple of these and she was thrilled! Happiness all around. :)

I also found a really cute "coffee cup cosy" poem, originally by Yvonne Lowther, and adapted it to use as a gift tag.
Click Here to download the JoyfulRose Carefree Cup Cozy Template
(Note: These are PDFs, so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open all the files in this tutorial)

Click Here to download the single Cup Cozy Poem

Click Here to download the full page Cup Cozy Poem (4 poems on a regular letter-sized page)

Supplies for 1 Cup Cozy:
About 12" wide x 4" tall outer fabric (I used Babyville Boutique Sassy Girl Cheetah PUL)
About 12" wide x 4" tall inner fabric (I used JoAnn Fabrics Cream Fleece)
4" of 1/4" wide elastic
3.25" of FOE (I used Babyville Boutique Solid Brown Fold Over Elastic)
Label (I used Babyville Boutique Little Bird and Hearts "Love")
3/4" Button
Sewing Machine, needle, thread, scissors, cutting board, needles

Note: this pattern and tutorial are for a small store-bought coffee cup. It's made with elastic so it can expand to fit a cup snugly, but if you're using a much larger or smaller than average cup, you made need to alter this tutorial to fit. :)

Instructions:
1. Print and cut out the Cup Cozy Template
2. Fold PUL in half width-wise, place Template on fold, and cut. Do the same for the Fleece
3. Match up PUL and Fleece, right sides together, and sew along top, bottom, and one side. Clip corners so they'll turn nicely
4. Turn right side out and cover-stitch
5. Place FOE along the side that wasn't sewn and use a wide zig-zag to stitch. Use Fray Check on edges or heat-seal
6. Place Label in center and middle of Cup Cozy and sew
7. Loop elastic, match raw edges to edge of FOE and sew very securely
8. Measure in about 1.5" from sewn side of Cup Cozy and sew button in the center, very securely
9. Make another one so you have a pair!
10. Print poem using above download link, wrap Cup Cozies with poem, and give to your favorite coffee or hot chocolate-drinking friend :)


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