Domestic Armor *

2012-01-25T08:56:00.001-08:00

I just checked in and saw Happy Halloween still on my blog...Really?! Has it been that long!

I am not a writer, but I am trying to figure the whole blogging world out.

doodles just happen..

2011-11-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Whenever I have a bit of free time I love to go through old magazines and create "doodles". These collages are inspired by the colors and images randomly found in old magazines. I am really not looking for anything. The colors start appearing and then the images fall into place as if the doodles just collage themselves. It is very relaxing just to let the process just flow.

GhostBusters....

2011-10-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

Making costumes started as a tradition when I was growing up. My mom hand sewed all of our costumes and much much more..This a costume I made for my son.

2011-10-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Who are you going to call?

2011-10-30T09:39:00.001-07:00

My son wanted a costume for a school dance. after much consideration, He decided on GhostBusters.

We found these wonderful uniform shirts at a local thirft store and I painted the Ghostbuster images on the shirt.

I started with a stencil of the image and then painted a base coat of white. Next I painted the red circle image. The black background was filled in and I used black permant ink pens to make the lines sharper.

One of my most favorite things is... My kids drawings

2011-10-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

By my 6 year old daughter and 5 year old son.

2011-10-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wish LisT 2

2011-10-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

I started making these little postcards as a joke and leaving them all over my mother's house for her to find after I left. Now these little collages are one of my favorite forms of art.
With very little time to create, they are quick little doodles I can do just about anywhere.

All in a day...

2011-10-13T16:24:00.001-07:00

For the love of collage

2011-10-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

2011-10-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Christmas Starfish..

2009-07-31T15:09:00.001-07:00

Ginger tea, rice cracker mix, and the beginning of sea stars…

I woke up this morning and I just kept thinking about starfish. I thought about crocheting one and I still might. Then I was putting away some fabric I bought for Christmas gift totes. I kept looking at it while I was drinking my tea and I started seeing stars… I zig-zagged cotton threads to accent the star points. I had the back fabric left over from my daughters mermaid costume from last year. I thought it would be perfect for the starfish. I crocheted a loop for hanging. I love these sea stars. I am going to make smaller ones for gift toppers and larger one for baby toys.

Baby Mocking bird…

2009-07-31T14:50:00.001-07:00

Our new kitty brought us home a gift, a baby bird. It was peeping and jumping and chirping for mama and daddy. We saw that there was a nest in the tall tree in our backyard. We tired to let the baby go in the yard, but we decided that it was way too unsafe. We took the lost baby to the animal rescue. The volunteer told us it was a baby mocking bird. It was quite an exciting morning at our house. We had an unplanned adventure and the kids learned a good lesson.

Our three year old named her Chirp. This is baby Chirp outside.

This is Mama bird and Papa bird standing by watching from a far.

Life has so many unexpected opportunities to teach respect for life!

Technorati Tags: wildlife,nature,birds,mocking bird,respect for life,animal rescue

summer wrist cuff

2009-07-27T08:07:00.001-07:00

I love these summer cuffs. They are light weight and comfortable to wear all summer long and even longer....all my cuffs are one of a kind and one size fits most. Inspired by paper collage work and quilting. Each cuff is a work of wearable art that you will want to wear everyday...

A wonderful day at the beach…

2009-07-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

inspired by nature to start sewing beach tote bags and blankets for summer.

Making dolls for my kids

2009-05-23T19:11:00.001-07:00

One for my son and one for my daughter….

Crocheted flower hair barrettes

2009-05-18T16:21:00.001-07:00

2009-05-11T14:44:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to wear your apron!

Signs of Spring…

2009-05-05T15:03:00.001-07:00

We are trying very hard to wrap up home school before summer vacation in June. The weather has been very crazy here. One week it is raining and cold. The very next week it is too hot to sleep, even with the fans on high. Today is a beautiful spring day. We are finding it very hard to stay focused on school work when the outside keeps calling to come and play.

The birds are chirping. The squirrels are busy trying to figure out how to get in to the rabbit hutch to steal food. The dog is taking a long warm nap in the sunny part of the backyard. There is a light breeze. Perfect weather to start a garden, make some sun tea, or just sit.

Everything is turning green again.

Family quilts…

2009-05-05T10:59:00.001-07:00

Making quilts started for me back when my oldest son was first born. I did not own or know how to use a sewing machine. I really did not know how to sew at all. I did not own much and did not have the money to purchase fabric. Much like vintage quilts of years past, I hand stitched the best I could pieces of fabric from found materials, such as old clothing. As the years pasted, I have made other quilts for my children. The first picture shows the quilt I again hand stitch with care fabric in the theme of fish. My son, at the time (age 4 years old), was really fascinated by fishing. The quilt is made in blue check and fish prints. He wanted to grow up to be a fisherman. We lived in the country at the time and we spent a lot of time outdoors. From then on making quilts has been a special thing I have done for all my children. Now done on a sewing machine and pieced together since I still have not learned how to really quilt. Each quilt I have made has a child in mind and is given has a birthday gift or Christmas present. Through the years,we have gone through Garfield and comics, Star wars and space themes, trains, princesses and fairies, and now the latest airplanes. All are about the size of a crib blanket. Once a crib blanket and now lap quilts. The quilts are inspired by what the child is interested in at that stage in their life. We have moved a lot through the years. We currently live by a small airport. Our 2 year son is excited to see the small planes fly over head and his favorite thing is to visit the airport and watch the plane land and take off. Thus the airplane quilt was made. The quilts are all well used and well loved. Each child has his or her own special blanket. They travel with the kids, they comfort them at night, and they even have become capes during the day. I have five children now 17, 12, 3, 2, and 6 months. I plan I will spend many more years sewing quilts for my kids. The quilts I have made have become like a scrapbook of years past. Each one full of wonderful heart filled memories…….

Technorati Tags: handmade,quilts,sewing,family,children,scrapbook

Crocheted "skinny"scarves

2009-05-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

One of my Favorite Things…

2009-03-24T11:50:00.001-07:00

I love making things for my children. My favorite thing to make is cloth dolls. I use muslin for the body and fabric scraps from my stash to make clothes. I wish I could remember where I got this doll pattern. Most of the time, I make my own patterns. I just draw a rough figure of the doll I want to make and cut it out , leaving enough seam allowance for all the tight curves. I have made several dolls and each one become a personality of its own. I rarely put faces on my dolls, because I like to leave that up to the holder’s imagination. When a holder cuddles a doll, it becomes a friend. A friend that is happy when they are happy and sad when they are sad. A friend which whom a holder wants to share secrets …. and a special friend will never tell anyone. I never plan out anything. So, the dolls grow on their own from whatever is the easiest to find at the time. Yarn for hair, bows, colored threads, and a mix of fabrics develops into a perfect childhood friend. Once done the dolls always make me smile and they make my children smile too. This is one of my favorite things.

Spring is here…

2009-03-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

All Dressed up In Ribbons and Bows…

2009-03-10T13:08:00.001-07:00

You will truly Love this Retro Inspired Waist Apron. Bright beautiful colors Perfect for spring or any time of the year. Decorative stitched edges and trim Cute hand-size single pocket Cotton fabric

one size fits most 35.00

Starting to look like Spring! Catch all our new spring aprons…

If you see something you like or would like to make a request please contact me: domesticarmor@gmail.com

Cozy times

2009-03-04T11:36:00.001-08:00

“There’s no cozier time of day in the life of a child than that moment when you slip into your comfortable pajamas and climb into bed with a favorite story to read.” The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. I love this book. I highly suggest that all families have a copy on their coffee table and refer to it often.

We found this creative project idea and handmade our own version of Soule’s Bedtime Bag. The instructions were easy to follow, which are included in the book. These simple totes make wonderful projects in a short amount of time . Pajamas are tucked inside the bag and a story book put in the front pocket. I love the totes because they are a perfect source for keeping things tidy and easy to find. Our toddlers love their bedtime bags, because they have become part of our bedtime and morning routine. Something to look forward to each night!

Wouldn’t these bedtime bags make wonderful Springtime gifts filled with new pajamas and story books!

Simple Pleasures

2009-03-03T17:04:00.001-08:00

I started collecting apron patterns several years ago. They were hard to find at the time. No one was making aprons. I fell in love with aprons when I started seeing more and more of them popping up at flea markets and Thrift stores. There was something about the well-loved vintage fabric and careful handmade styles that I found comforting. Each made with a purpose in mind and personalized by the maker.

Each apron I can across was a unique treasure . All made for a interesting mix of duties and each one beautifully detailed with pride. Some aprons were made out of reused flour sacks when recycling was a way of life for a thrifty homemaker. These were the domestic armor of the past worn to protect one’s clothes while hard at work caring for the family and doing household duties. Every stain or frayed edge a badge of honor. Most waist aprons were made out of cotton and detailed with hand-cover buttons, embroidery, or simple embellishments. New fresh aprons were made for the holidays; especially for the grand presentation of the holiday feast at the family dinner party. These are the found treasures. My favorite are the cocktail aprons made for the single purpose to dolled up a perfect party dress worn to host a gathering for a few good friends. There is nothing like the feeling of tying on a pretty apron whether it is for hosting a party, working in the garden, or baking bread in the kitchen. Suddenly the task of doing the dishes becomes relaxful just by wearing a fun sassy apron. Every vintage-styled waist apron made by Domestic Armor is inspired by the hard-working women of the past and the loving care they put into their handmade creations.

Cute as a Button!

2009-03-03T14:51:00.001-08:00

Waist Apron Red Button
print

Vintage sheer fabric
gathered waist
single layer
hand-size front pocket
grosgrain ribbon tie
Falls to knee
One size

35.00

Call me Sweet Tea!

2009-03-02T17:46:00.001-08:00

This is a cute little number !

A bit larger fit than any of our other Aprons detailed with ruffles and pink ribbon bows perfect to tie-on for any party, BBQ , or just a lot of home loving’ in the kitchen….

45.00

2009-02-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

Domestic Armor has new aprons popping up every week!

Aren't these Aprons cute!

Spring and back yard parties are just around the corner....

Here are more styles available by Domestic Armor. Each of my retro styled aprons are handmade with love. With loving care, all my aprons will last along time for your enjoyment.

Domestic Armor has a whole batch of fun and sassy retro-inspired waist apron waiting to be hatch for spring!

New Aprons now available

2009-02-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

Aprons: the domestic armor of the past.
Now you can spice up any outfit for hosting a party, dinner, or just adding fun everyday .

Domestic Armor has new vintage-inspired waist aprons now available. Each of these cute and flirty waist apron is a one-of-kind design. Domestic Armor's waist aprons feature a hand size pocket and adjustable tie which make these fit friendly for most sizes Made of cotton or cotton blend printed fabrics with contrasting trim make these waist aprons a perfect match for any outfit at work or play.

Find one today that you like please contact me at domesticarmor@gmail.com

Vintage Aprons: reminders of a simpler time

2009-02-18T08:54:00.001-08:00