Just when you don't think you can handle anymore surprises in life you get another one, right?! I have to admit this is an amazing surprise and I am delighted and honored to have the cover story in the current issue of Creative Machine Embroidery! There are some cute ideas and projects in this issue so make sure you pick it up. While you're at it hop on over to Ellen's blog and see what else is new in the world of embroidery. I'm off to Janome Convention to work with my friends at Iris Embroidery Threads for the rest of the week and will bring any fun updates as soon as I am back!

I know. Too much time between posts.  I don’t come empty handed though!

This is an amazing site a friend at work passed on to me. What does a girl need more than a cute, stylish, multi-tasking dress! The One Dress project put the power of social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Flickr to use by connecting over 1000 women who essentially designed this one dress. By sharing their lifestyles, needs and dreams they helped design a dress for any occasion. The knit jersey fabric is perfect for travel and if you wander around on their site you’ll see all the different styles the dress can produce makes this a truly classic dress and well worth the investment!

I have been pretty inspired in the garment area lately. For me, summer time is the hardest time to stay inside and sew but this adorable top and irresistible dress made it onto my to-make-very-soon list! If you’re looking for another quick, restyle project make sure to download the Lace Tank Top from the Free Project Download section of the site!
 

And if you’re in the mood for a road trip check out the workshop my friends at DIY Style are putting on in St. Louis! Fun classes with fun, talented girls!
 

With so many fresh, new, wonderfuland miraculous things happening it is hard to confess the bit of cloud that is covering my skies lately. Before you get all sad and down, let me assure you, this is not a storm cloud. I prefer to think of it as a summer cloud. You know the kind. The ones that show up and clutter the sky in the middle of a perfect afternoon of sunshine and Twilight reading. The wanna-be storm clouds (as a side note, yes, I am part of the ever growing crowd obsessed with the Twilight series…began the Breaking Dawn this past weekend).

In any case, there is a situation that has clouded some of our plans and although it is super easy to get discouraged I am trying to will the sunshine back into our family. Little sayings like, “When a door closes...” or “Everything happens at the right time” seem too focused on the unfortunate, the cloudy that has happened. I’m sticking with “Look on the bright side.” Keep focused on the sunshine and it will come back. How do you get past the cloudy times in your life?

The past 14 days have taken me many places and now that I have completed my tour of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan it is time to share! After teaching a charity sewing class in Ohio, I made a one day trip to Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburg. I honestly dreaded making the two and a half hour drive by myself but was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the time flew! Pittsburg is really a beautiful city and I hope to visit again soon (don’t hang me for saying that Clevelanders!). Once I parked and walked to the convention center it was hug after meeting after hello. It was so wonderful to see so many industry friends. I met with my publisher, Jeramy Landauer to discuss the upcoming book and all the exciting ideas, projects and extras for you guys! Lunch with the fantastic Nancy Weber and a big hug from my lovely friend (and publishing sister) Penny Haren were both too short.

I made my way through the waves of booths and fabrics to find Art Gallery Fabrics and the beautiful Patricia. Meeting her, being in the booth and touching the fabrics I’ll be using in the upcoming book added to the overwhelming wonderful time I had at Market.

There were so many booths I missed this time and brought me to the conclusion that one day at Market is not enough…although Jeff was ecstatic I didn’t have time to shop, which I promise to make up for next year!

This past weekend took us to Michigan for my youngest cousin’s wedding. It was beautiful. Simple. Elegant. Fun. Emily was a beautiful bride and I wish them all the best! Her color choices of navy, burnt orange and red were fantastic and I loved all the beautiful flowers. The wedding was complete only with my mom’s beautiful cake.

She is such a talented lady…but the cake is sincerely the best in the world.

It was so fun to be with all my cousins and reminisce in our home town for the rest of the holiday weekend. We all went to the Tecumseh Memorial Day parade and giggled about meeting at 8 a.m. at Junie’s house to wrap our bikes in colored paper and streamers. The best years were when we would get donuts from Luv’s Bakery!

This year was a fantastic “walk through history” that included re-enactors from the Revolutionary War until now.

A super fun fly over.

And some sweet trucks I am sure Heather Bailey would have loved! While all the travel was a nice change of pace, it is always good to be back home!
 

It's time for a party! It is the one year mark for Nina. In that year how-to videos, free project downloads and posts have been seen by thousands. Thank you for your support and as a thank you the first 5 people to post comments about their favorite part of the website will win a fat quarter pack of Sew You, Sew Fun fabrics and a pack of Iris thread!

I had a few moments of downtime this evening and have uploaded (re-uploaded rather) the latest project from Iris Embroidery Threads pictured in the current issue of Creative Machine Embroidery! Hope you all enjoy the Easy Embroidered Pillow and how-to tutorial video.

Sometimes it is hard to update the blog because so many projects I work on can't be talked about until a few months later. If you can, trust me that there are some super fun articles and projects coming! Some serious attention and work on my upcoming book has been surprisingly calming. It amazes me at times to be a part of such a huge project that will meet people I will never know, helping them along in their sewing journey.

Besides articles and writing I have been cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers! It is pretty amazing what a little team can do to cheer a little midwest city. Go Cavs!

The rest of this week will be a blur of travel. Teaching a charity project the next few days. It is a really great opportunity to give and use my time to create for someone in need.

Then onto Spring Quilt Market! I am so excited to hug some friends and be inspired. Stops include my friends at Oliver+S, Amy Butler, FreeSpirit Fabrics, Art Gallery Fabrics and a few more. I promise to come back with too much to contain in one post.

Finally I'll stop at home to pick up Jeff and drive up to Michigan for a wedding. It will be a great weekend of visiting and celebration of love. A super stuffed week that will go by too quickly! Thank goodness for cameras!

I have realized lately how easy it is to let life get in the way of crafting and sewing. Sometimes it is too many activities. Sometimes it is not making it a priority. Sometimes it is because I feel I need a million hours to make something super impressive. So in honor of getting back to the basics, making time to create a quick project as a birthday gift or using your creative juices to relax...We're having a contest! I have created a group on Flicker called Sewing Easy. Upload your original easy to sew project that was made in 10 steps or less. You could be one of five people to win a package of beautiful Iris Embroidery Thread, an assorted pack of fat quarters or a signed copy of my book, Your Space. Leave comments on other's designs and the one with the most comments wins "Viewer's Choice" and one of each of the prizes!

My weekend of conquering the growing to-do list was side tracked a bit. All with good reason. I couldn't wait to dig into a few new patterns I had aquired last week and this Multi-tasker Tote from Anna Maria Horner distracted me all Saturday afternoon.

I love all the pockets and the beautiful placement of coordinating fabrics. The only thing I changed was adding a zipper tab along the top inside. The person who's birthday this is for always likes a top closure in her purses. I didn't want to distract with a button and loop closure on this bag. It was such an enjoyable pattern I think I am going to make another for a Mother's Day gift.

I apologize upfront for the pictures of my flowers. I’m a little more than excited. The azaleas are in full bloom and are looking so strong and beautiful!

One of the big tasks this summer is to tear out our deck and revamp the backyard. I am sure I will have pictures to share when that all starts up. The success in the front yard from last year’s planting has given me the confidence to tackle the backyard and any (ANY!) advice is welcome.

Projects have been going out of the studio like a factory. Little snip for you. I’m excited about this one as it caused me to go out of my comfort zone a little bit and the end design is something I am proud of.

Last weekend I drove up to Michigan to my cousin’s bridal shower. These centerpieces were the cutest! The colors were so inviting and such an innovative way to combine fresh fruit and flowers. I could have eaten one of those oranges! It was such a great party. The whole day reminded me of my wedding a few years ago and how I wish for my cousin as much happiness as Jeff and I have. Such a great, amazing time in her life and I was so glad to be a part of it.

So what is next? Weeding. Finishing laundry. Project instructions. If I’m good the reward is to dig into this little pile. A new Socialite Dress for an upcoming wedding. I think I will add some piping on the neckline too! I can barely stay on task.
 

Ever wake up and have the desire to be transported back to the beginning of the week you just finished so you can actually make sure it really happened?! I sincerely can't believe how quickly this week went.

Last week's visit to my parents house for Easter/Passover was great. My sisters are all getting so big! We started the week out right with a visit to the local quilt store,Quilter's Stash, to get some batik for a project I'm working on. If you've never quilted before make sure you wander over to the how-to video section and check out the stippling and piecing videos!The picture of Jeff knitting in the car was during the trip there. My youngest sister Alison had showed him how to knit and he is proudly displaying the 3 rows he finished. The store was amazing! we oogled over fabric for a while and I shared all my favorite designers with my sisters. We decided to make a quilt for a wedding coming up so there went another hour of grabbing, squinting, debating and buying fabric. It was a ton of fun.

We celebrated Passover together and all watched my hubby's face (this was his first time participating) for disgust over the bitter herbs. Unfortunately he loves horseradish.

Saturday, my mom offered to host a first birthday party for a family they know. We spent the morning making the cutest cupcakes! Here is what we did:

Make the cupcakes and frost them.

With a clean pair of slightly damp scissors, cut a large marshmellow into thin slices.

Decorate one side of the marshmellow slice with sprinkles

Arrange the slices in a circle to resemble a flower.

Place a candy, jelly bean or tiny candle in the middle.

It is April. This is my backyard. This weather is crazy! Poor little crocus. Even the snow can't dull my excitement this week. Hubby and I leave later this week for a holiday with my parents and sisters on the east coast. It has been a long time since I've been home for Passover and I am really looking forward to giving/getting some fantastic hugs. I'll be sure to bring back stories and pictures! 

I will be honest and say I have been swept away by the land of tweets lately. Twitter has already proven to be a great way to meet people, find out cool things going on in my community and find great fabric sales (and one can NEVER have too much fabric!). So if you're on Twitter you can follow me at theninaline. I think that makes us tweeps then, right?

If you're looking for something to do between tweets, wander over to the how-to videos and check out seam, seam ripping and fabric grains. Or if you're looking for something cute to make check out this spring styled table setting!

I seriously can't believe March is gone. Easter is right around the corner and this article I wrote for Creative Machine Embroidery brought back all sorts of childhood memories.

When I was little, maybe 5 or 6 years old I remember decorating easter eggs with my Nana. She would take a safety pin, put a tiny whole in each end and then it was my job to gently blow out the insides of the egg. I remember being terrified about getting that guck on me so I blew super gentle, just like Nana said, so I wouldn't break the egg and make a mess. Once the insides were out, I would get to put the decorative plastic wrappers around the egg and Nana would hold it in place and pour the hot water on top. Magically, the plastic would shrink to just the right size and encase the middle of the egg in beautiful design. I also remember the coloring eggs with my mom. Watching those little disks of dye dissolve in the vinegar and being the designer of a perfect half-colored egg, learning how purple and yellow make a yucky looking color...these were creative experiences that I'll never forget.

So I'm reminding you. This year make a tradition. It doesn't have to be for a holiday. Maybe it is as simple as making everyone's favorite dinner the same day every month. Maybe you'll grab this magazine, use the project instructions to create these eggs with or for friends and family as a tradition for spring! At the risk of sounding cheesy...make a memory.

I didn’t think this weekend was going to get any better. With my surprise discovery of Amy Butler’s Softwares program, I was at a Christmas eve  level of excitement. Clearly, I should have been more optimistic.

The first surprise of the weekend was spring. The crocus are in bloom along the back edge of our yard and they are so beautiful. They are not completely open and seem to ask Old Man Winter if it is safe to come out and play. I am also the proud parent of a heather bush.

While this may not seem like quite a big thing to be excited about, those with a less-than-equip green thumb will understand. This little lady is the first thing to bloom in the front flower bed I overhauled last year. Keep your fingers crossed that the other 24 plants make it back!

Following these simple pleasures I went to my first roller derby to support my friend Megan. I had no idea what I was in for! Not only was it a good laugh at the creativity of the players names but the Burning River Roller Girls sure know how to intimidate.

If you don’t know what a jabber or a pack are check out this video for an entertaining take on derby game rules. There were a few hundred people there and even the mayor of Euclid showed up. It was so much fun!

Last, but not least, patterns. Patterns to me are like fabric, you can seriously never, ever have enough. While you’ll have a little wait for Amy’s Softwares, you’ll be happy to know that Anna Maria Horner has her new line of patterns ready to buy on her site! I love them. I love her. She is definitely someone I look up to and this post says all the reasons. She is a beautiful person for sure. Check them out and add to your pattern stash!
 

I am also pretty excited this weekend about my new toy. With the exception of Anna's pattern shot, all the other photos were taken with my new Nikon D40! I'm super excited to start a new hobby!

I was like a little girl who just found out I was getting the pony I've wanted my whole life. Electric Quilt Company and Amy Butler one of my favorite designers of all time have teamed up to offer this amazing new product called Softwares. In the package includes an interactive CD with 22 new projects for your home. Quilts, purses, and pillows all with the ability to personalize them in Amy's fabrics before you even buy the yardage! Amy Butler has kept her eco-friendly practices by putting this all on CD and eliminating unneeded paper printing.  

You can pre-order the Softwares now on her website and they will be available May 15th!  

The past two weeks have been full of some very fun projects going out just as quickly as they are coming in! I had the chance to do some very fun scarf projects, a snuggly wool throw with a top made completely out of yarn and an exciting embellished shirt and duvet/sham set for a new hand embroidery publication. I can't wait to get the duvet/sham project back from the publication and stick it on my bed! I also did a cute Pin-Up Apron made from half a placemat and two napkins! I'll pass along more details on these as I can!

If you have some time, surf the how-to video section! Jeff made some super cool updates on how you view the videos and there are over 10 new videos to help you learn some awesome techniques!

The Christmas tree is still up. My mantel is still decorated with fresh pine boughs. The lights are still up outside. I just can't take down Christmas! Even if I hadn't been fighting the yucky flu this weekend and working like crazy on some projects since the holidays...I don't know that I would have made the time to take down the cheerful decorations.

Almost all my gifts this year were sewing and crafting related. I got some awesome books from my sister Alison for my birthday and Christmas and a very indulgent hubby gifted me with an ipod Touch! I also gifted myself a little something...a new sewing studio! After a crazy trip to Ikea the day after Christmas Jeff and I assembled this crazy fun studio.

I can't believe the storage!!! I organized all my fabrics, every scissor, yarn and button has it's place. My paperwork is organized and stylishly stored.

A fantastic picture of Audrey tops it all off! Having this new space has inspired me. It's like a clean slate. Organized, fresh and together. I'd love to see where you sew and what is in there that inspires you! Send me a note and picture at shannon@theninaline.com!

 Time to go make this place a mess!

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted something. It seems to me like last week! Hope all your holidays with friends and family were fantastic! This is my kitten Pedro chilling out under the Christmas tree on the brand new tree skirt I made from a circular table cloth. Check out it out here for the directions. I think I am going to add some embroidery to it for next year!

This month brings some exciting updates to the site so keep your eyes on the How-to Videos, Project downloads and the Sewepedias. I've been working like crazy in my absence...hopefully on stuff you will enjoy!

Happy New Year to you all and I am looking forward to all the fun, crafty stuff I have to share with you!

Shannon

The Iris Thread Giveaway Contest has officially ended.

Winners will be contacted via e-mail and their names will also be posted right here on TheNinaLine.com blog.

Thanks to everyone who participated and made this contest a success!

 I am super excited to be back in sewing mode. I got my Pfaff Creative 2144 back and we're buzzing along on some fun new projects. Boy, did I miss her!

I just finished up a tutorial series on zippers for CraftStylish. If you feel so inclined, hop on over there and check it out. Invisible, craft and garment...we covered them all!

It's out! The second Iris Embroidery ad is in the current special issue of Creative Machine Embroidery. This ad features a fun and different take on a table runner. The combination of embroidered leaves and batik fabrics not only makes this table decor interesting but the lattice-like construction will bring an airy feel to your room. Simple is style these days! After completing this project, I started to imagine it in bright summer colors, pastels for spring and maybe even some blues and silvers for winter. You could make one for every season!

On a housekeeping note, there was a typo in this ad. The web address is www.theninaline.com. We are correcting this for the future ads, but I apologize to those who had a hard time getting here! The Table Fare instructions and video are up in the Free Downloads Section for your enjoyment!

Here's the little brag book project I've been working on in the absence of my sewing machine for my friend Lindsey. She is days away from delivering her first (and highly anticipated) little girl.

This is a purse shaped blank board book from C&T Publishing who are also the publishers of my books. I used some fun, girly papers and found a poem about little girls that I printed off on card stock.

I rotated poem pages with picture pages and placed a large rectangle piece of decorative scrapbooking paper where Lindsey could put pictures of the baby once she arrives.

It was a fun project and would be awesome for a wedding, birthday or christmas gift. Instead of leaving the picture pages blank you could gummy glue gift cards or "I owe you" cards.

Well, my best friend is in the shop. I had to take my sewing machine in for repair so I've been catching up on the not so fun paperwork side of life. I did make a super cute crafting project I'll post tomorrow.

There are two new projects up in the Free Download section for you guys. This cute wristlet is super quick to make. The handle is actually a elastic bracelet (super cute) so now you won't have to worry about dropping your purse or walking away without it!

The second new project is this super sweet towel wrap. This is a great quick project and perfect for beach or pool visits. It would be cute for a swim team wrap (maybe embroider the team name on the back of the wrap) or, if lengthened, as a wrap for the shower at college.

I have some cool stuff to share once I am back in sewing order! Stay tuned!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! There's another free project download on the site. The Pet Bandana project is a super "don't have much time" project and can make your best friend the most stylish pooch (or kitty) on the block! Make them for each of the holidays or give as gifts. Enjoy!

It seems the more I sew and the more projects I have to do the more inspired I am. I am so overwhelmed right now, not by the projects I have to do but by the projects I am being inspired to do. I hope that makes some sense!

Sometimes all it takes to inspire me is a beautiful color or an interesting line in a building. Other times I need a little jump start which is why I get some of the fashion/tread magazines like Elle, Marie Claire and Domino. The last one happens to be my personal favorite as I love, LOVE to decorate...much to my dear husband's dismay. He's a pretty good sport though! I think my living room has been 3 colors in the 3 years we've lived in our house. The colors also included a beautiful marigold mustard and magenta. Yes. At the same time. In the same room. It was beautiful but a little too stimulating for a relaxing living room space. At least for me.

This past weekend I took a little time to thumb through the most recent Elle and was delighted to see plaid....everywhere! I love plaids! Even Ms. Jessica Simpson's photoshoot spread featured her in nearly every picture with plaid on.

A friend of mine, Amanda Flynn, has a blog. She frequently gives overviews and opinions of the latest trends. Amanda was my first offical sewing student! I am so, SO proud of the way she has grown her talents and even branched into sewing forher friend's wedding! She loves sewing clothes from days gone by and if that doesn't keep her busy enough she also runs a store on Etsy for her beautiful jewelry! Go and check her out.

I have a lot of fun projects that I will be posting here shortly. We also have a few new free downloads in the line up so stay tuned!

My good friend is going to be having her first baby in the next month or so and I went to her second baby shower Saturday. It is so exhilarating to be with so many people excited about life! Watching everyone recount their childs' births to her was beautiful and hilarious at the same time. I'd see her squirm at the bad ones and smile at the good ones. She already knows it is a little girl so for this shower I wanted to give her some handmade gifts. Believe me there will be more! I love making little girl clothes!!!

Here are the onesies I embroidered. All the designs are from Urban Threads and I used my embroidery software to edit, color, and personalize each of them.

I bought the onesies at Target and used water soluble stabilizer to embroider so that there wouldn't be any left over stabilizer scratching at the baby's skin. Starting on this project was so addicting that I made a baby sling and a car back pack (little bag you put on the back of the car head rest that holds diapers, wipes, bottle, rattle etc.). I have a feeling this baby sewing isn't going to stop anytime soon and I'm lucky enough to have a friend that truly appreciates it!

Make sure you check out the latest issue of Creative Machine Embroidery!This issue contains my first ad for Iris Embroidery Thread as well as a special contest. Remember to check out the Project Downloads and download the T-shirt Tote directions that go along with the ad! You can even watch the how-to video at the same time. You can enter to the free thread drawing right here on the site for the Iris Embroidery thread top 50 color pack. That's a whole lot of embroidery fantastic-ness! Five winners will be drawn in October so sign up and keep your eyes on the site for even more fun. 

I got back from vacation with my family on Wednesday and still have yet to post some pictures and tell you all how it was! I will get to that this weekend...I promise! In the meantime, check out the How-to Videos that we uploaded. There are 6 new videos up there for you! Some of the videos in the How-to Video section are basic tutorials and some have special tips and hints I've learned in my brief (17 years) of sewing. Enjoy!

I love this site and it's not just because I write for them! CraftStylish is a utopia of imagination for every type of crafting and creating. Now they have a tote bag challenge and I am already thinking about which category I want to participate in!

I took the pledge to buy all my holiday gifts either handmade or make them myself...now I gotta stick to it! Check it out and take the pledge. I'll stick up some cool ideas when I find them!

This weekend was truly a rest well earned for my husband and I. We spend half of Thursday finishing up the bathroom remodeling and a cook out Friday with some of our close friends.

I was starting to feel like a slacker for not sewing every day....as it had been a very, VERY busy May and June for that. However, I began to realize that just because I wasn't sewing, doesn't mean I haven't been creating lately! Our house has been on the market for a little while now and we decided that a mini (major) rehab on the kitchen and bathroom might attract some different buyers to our house. The before and after on the kitchen stove area is amazing. We replaced the blue walls and green countertop with custom tiling (my hubby and dad put it in in one day) and a neutral paint color on the walls and cabinets.

Before and after of my kitchen!

The bathroom...all I can really say is wallpaper. Wallpaper everywhere. Walls and ceiling. It took about 2 weeks, and a visit from my little sisters, to finish that job up! We replaced the vanity and mirror then traded the wallpaper in for a fresh, crisp aqua blue. It is so fancy now!

In anycase it has been a blast. I have really enjoyed working with Jeff on something DIY-ish and love it when projects give visible results! I also got to explore my hand at interior design and leave it up to you to judge! I've learned creative comes in many forms and limiting myself to just one is silly! Just because my main craft is sewing doesn't mean I can't scrapbook, quilt, make a quick curtain or glue (yes, the 4-letter word) wood blocks onto a 2"x6" wrapped in fabric to create some low-budget wall art!