New Shoes!

I'm on a roll with the new shoe pattern!

My migraine is completely gone and I couldn't be happier!

I've got a kids showcase date on Etsy for the 13th and want to load up my shop w/ lots of stuff. I'm SO GLAD I get out of work @ 5pm. I'll be home by 6pm, make apple butter and sew more booties. w00t!

Here's the lastest pair:


(Click photo for more info)

I can't wait to make more! I just ordered some organic cotton/bamboo fabric from CatyLouQuilts and hope to get my hands on some polartec fleece (it's recycled) to make organic baby shoes.

I can't think about my fulltime job because my mind is clouded with visions of handmade things dancing in my head.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Baby Shoes - my first pair!

Yesterday I had the worst migraine, I'm not going to go into details but it was NOT pretty. Once the migraine started to subside late afternoon, I found myself very down that I hadn't been productive, so I cut lots of fabric and made a few pairs of baby shoes. I photographed 3 pairs this morning but only had time to list 1 of the pairs. They are super cute! I brought them to work and my coworkers all "oooooh"'ed and "ahhhhh"'ed at them. I've got a few orders already for custom sizes!

Here's a photo and link to the pair I just listed this morning:


(Click photo for more info)

They are fleece-lined, so warm and snuggly for colder months and made to fit 0-6 month olds! I'm so thrilled with them!

I can't wait to get home from work tonight to list the other two pairs!

I want to make origami boxes for them out of scrapbooking paper. I think they'd be super cute.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Back to the Drawing Board

Hello everyone!

I've been neglecting "My Handmade Life" and for that, I apologize. It took a while for my roommates to get settled to the point where I felt comfortable sewing while they are home, and I was spending lots of my free time promoting our new president-elecct before election day. But I'm back! With lots of patterns floating around in my brain.

First? I went to Pennsylvania this past weekend to celebrate my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. I don't have photos yet, I will post some when they are e-mailed to me. I had a chance to go to Joann's with my cousin's wife April on our last day there and took it! I wish there was a Joanns Fabrics in NYC! I bought SO MUCH STUFF! So be on the look-out for new fabric prints in my shop in upcoming weeks!

Here's a photo of one of my latest makeup bags in the new fabric:


(Click photo for more info)


Second? I won 2nd place for my photo in the Lomography contest I posted about a couple months ago! Yay! I won a Pop 9 camera, I hope I receive it today! Again, photo to be posted soon. It's early in the morning. =P

Third? I'm going to be making sewn baby booties and retro aprons finally! I couldn't be more thrilled about these two. I'm all about the retro aprons, since I've always wanted to make one for myself.

So that's it. I'm off to sleep for another 30 mins before work.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Preserving Nature...

Good morning!

It's 11:00am and my head hurts but I'm determined to work through it. I've been up since 8:30, excited about the idea of making strawberry preserves.

My two books I special ordered on "putting up" came in! Today is Saturday, and the best part of Saturday is getting up and heading to my local Farmer's Market. It's open from 8-3pm and is a block long with stands on both sides of the street.


(This is Becky)


(This is Dorian)

My new roommates Dorian and Becky (D&B) went with me last week and fell in love. They won't be attending the market today due to cat-sitting for a friend, so I have a nice list of items to purchase for them. The pressure is on!

The best part of the Farmer's Market? Organic, local strawberries! I'm going to purchase 2 quarts for the preserves recipe and 1 quart for family. I don't know if D&B want strawberries, I should text them on my way out.

The strawberry preserves recipe calls for:

2 quarts whole berries, capped and quartered.
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pack pectin
1/2 tbsp butter
7 cups sugar

It should make 7-8 half-pint jars.

If I can get everything organic, I will be thrilled!

The coolest part? I have all this left-over strawberry fabric that I can make cute little jar "hats" out of.



So today's plan?

0. Pharmacy for headache relief
1. Farmer's Market
2. Home to drop off produce.
3. Downtown to Zabars for canning supplies
4. Copy Center to color-copy some photos for coasters
5. Maxila & Mandible to look at butterflies
6. Home to make coasters for my mom's birthday (Monday).
7. Off to a birthday dinner w/ the family for my mom.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Put Up or Shut Up!

So the most recent issue of "Bust", the only magazine I subscribe to, has an entire article on DIY canning. Think preserves, pickles, jams, etc.

As it's called in the South, it's the art of "Putting Up". I have always been interested in making preserves and jams and pickling everything imaginable, even though I don't really like pickles. So I special ordered a couple books on the subject and should have them in my hands in a little more than a week! I'm so excited! I wish the preserve jars were easier to find in NYC. I will have to hunt some down.

I had an old boss when MoMA first reopened who decided with his wife that they were going to pickle everything they could get their hands on and give away jars for X-mas. They had jars EVERYWHERE! If Jars weren't so expensive to ship to my family, I would do it. But I don't know how thrilled my little cousins would be with a huge jar of pickled beets! So maybe I will stick to tins of cookies and white chocolate peppermint bark.

Also, a few of my coworkers and I are trading recipes for all sorts of pumpkin things, it's almost the season! Just a few degrees colder. I hope I get the chance to apple pick in Oct. That could be fun to use in my jams and preserves.

<3 Always,
--Taina