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.

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 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!

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!