The Domestic Nest Blog

I got a custom order to make this handy leather gardening apron. I’m so excited about how it turned out! It can attach to your favorite belt (leather or fabric) and can be worn comfortably on the side, front, or back. This apron in particular is made specifically for the things its owner will carry. I like it so much, I’m ready to make one for myself. One that can hold my scissors, leather punch, ruler, pencil & knife. And my cell phone. Maybe I’ll make one with a pocket big enough to carry Harley. He likes to lag behind when we’re hiking.

Going to Etsy’s Craft Night was like a dream come true for this west-coast crafter! I’ve always wondered what Etsy Headquarters (in Brooklyn) looks like. I’ve also wondered if Etsy admin are as fun and funky as they seem in their e-mails and blog posts. Well, Etsy Headquarters is as whimsical, unique and creative a place to work as one could ever imagine. And, yeah, the admin are as fun and funky as you think they are. I was so star-struck by Etsy that I just took it all in, without looking through the camera lens very much. If you’d like to see the inside of Etsy’s main offices, take a peek here. If you’d like to attend a craft night, check out Etsy’s events here. If you’d like to see an example of a craft night project, click ‘read more’ below.

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Baby Season is upon us!

Making things for people I love is infinitely more fun than making things for money.

These baby mocs are headed to VA because John-O and Meagan are having a baby boy.

Congrats to all you Moms & Dads-to-be out there!

I live pretty far from where I come from. I especially think about my home town, my family and my origins when holidays come along. Father’s Day was no exception. I missed my Dad & Papa & spent much of Sunday fondly thinking about home on the east coast.

This beer cozy was custom made for a special Dad. He comes from Oklahoma, home to one of the top livestock markets in the world, iconic examples of Western heritage and gnarly tornadoes.

Where I come from, Virginia, is known for its faithful conservatives, southern hospitality, and perfect peanuts.

Where Matty comes from, Montana, is known for its big skies, fly fishing, and wildlife.

Where you come from…what is it known for?

We drank. We ate. We communed. And we crafted.

It’s always an honor and a joy to be surrounded by creatives. On Friday, to celebrate Etsy’s birthday, we participated in a meetup everywhere. It was a blast!

I think we should do it again sometime.

Look at our new stamp! We debated buying a machine-made stamp, but just thought it’d be more fun to buy the hand-carved kind.

Allison Creative helped us by creating a simple logo that would show up well on our products.

Meagan of Brown Pigeon did an AMAZING job carving our stamp and shipped it out to us super fast. She was fun to work with and seemed just as excited about our order as we were. Check out her etsy shop. And make her your first stop if you’re looking to have a hand-carved stamp made of your own design. I’m thinking it would be fun to have a custom stamp made of your house. Or your face. Or your dog. Oh, the options are endless…

Matty stamped these tags to go on handmade denim bags for our first 20  customers at Patchwork. Thanks Matty!

Made from vintage material from the 1950′s. Love the colors!

Also made from vintage pillow cases. Did you know that many new clothes and materials contain preservatives such as formaldehyde? There’s even a sign at some fabric shops stating that the material should be washed before wear due to toxic chemicals. Vintage items have often been laundered enough to remove toxins from dyes or preservatives. Another reason I love using vintage pillow cases for baby dresses. What are you really going to do with one printed pillow case anyway? Probably why it was at the thrift store.

This pinafore is made completely of vintage pillow cases. Eco + OOAK. It makes me happy.

Pretty pink paisley. It doesn’t come girlier than that.