Nesting blocks

I thought I'd share some of the crafting creations I have made lately. My big project was a set of nesting blocks that I made for Anouk's birthday. I started well in advance, not sure how long this would take me... But it was so much fun, that I was actually very motivated to work through all the blocks very quickly to see the final product together.

The pattern was posted from Oh Fransson, posted on Sew Mama Sew. I used up some scraps I had from clothes I made for Anouk, so the blocks will always remind me of this summer when I discovered the beauty of fabrics and the joy of sewing clothes.

It's a whole new world out there for me and I am having so much fun with it!! It's so relaxing to be sewing in the evening. I can think about my day, my daytime projects, my worries etc. and at the same time I am creating something beautiful.

I have learned to read patterns and to follow patterns. I have learned to trust whoever made the pattern and follow their instructions - it somehow comes together at the end. :)

So, to start off my crafting parade, here are the blocks. I'll post some more projects over the next few weeks as I have time to photograph them.

Update

OK, I've been very absent from my blog for a while... It's been a busy time! My sister came to visit, which was absolutely fantastic and I had to finish the next three chapters of my book so that I could submit them in time for the deadline. Now, a more normalized rhythm can resume (well, sort of...). I'm going to try to write every other day or maybe even every day, just little glimpses into our life. 

I've been meaning to write so many posts over the last month: one about my adventures with my new friend: Silke's sewing machine. And the new words I've been learning since starting to navigate the web for patterns: bobbins, sewing machine foot (I know know that there is a special foot for sewing in zippers - that would have made life a lot easier!! - when I don't cut the zipper in half before starting while cutting through fabric...), and my favourite new word: pinafore! Since learning this wonderful word, I have made three pinafores, it is so much fun and they look so cute:

And I've made "recession pants". There are lots of free patterns out there for baby pants and I have lots of old pants in my closet with little holes, broken zippers or two sizes too small and out of style. They can be used to make baby pants! My first pair was too small for Anouk (I think I didn't think about the seam allowance - another one of those new words!). But, the second pair went really well; all done in about an hour and really nice!! And they fit!

Then I've been wanting to write about the rainbow on our street. Our street is a bike path and someone must have ridden their bike with open bottles of paint in the back and made a nice streak of paints in all the colours of the rainbow. Sorry, no pictures yet. But I will take some.

I'm really sad that my sister had to leave again after her visit. I really miss her and the rest of my family in Germany a lot. I loved seeing her interact with her nephew and niece. I would very much like her and everyone else to be more a part of my children's lives - and my life!

Luckily there is skype and email and phone, but it's just not the same... 

Which brings me back to this blog: yes, I will start a blogging challenge: can I update my blog a couple of times a week? We will see!

Wish me luck!