Studio Talk

I know, I am a day too early. However, the Dutch government thinks it a lovely idea when its expats travel all the way to Berlin (675 km) to apply for a new passport. So please think of me sitting in a cross country train tonight and have my photograph taken at 8:00h (I'll leave it up to your imagination what I look like after a night with very little sleep...). I will be a very happy bunny again when I'll return at Saulgrub station late on Monday night!

You might mistake the above pictures for a page from an IKEA catalogue. In fact it is my embroidery studio. When we moved here 16 months ago, I set up shop in the original living room of the apartment. The boxes store all my threads: large pink for floss, small pink for perle and the small black and white ones for speciality threads. As my studio is part shop as well, threads for sale are kept in a different place: Langley Threads crewel wool have their own wooden hanging boards made by my lovely husband, House of Embroidery silk ribbons and perle are stored in the blue drawer cabinets, Chinese silks in boxes intended for small screws and what not, whereas all the goldwork threads and spangles are kept in really useful boxes cabinets (a UK brand, do check them out as they have some very clever storage solutions).

As you can see, part of the shelving is still incomplete. I don't know about your part of the world, but here in the South of Germany, it has been really hot in the past few days. So what does one do when it is really hot, yeah you start dismantling shelves... Since the rest of my home looks like more pages from an IKEA catalogue (we have moved so often, it is the only stuff that is easily packed up), I was able to raid them for more shelving :). Alas, as you can see, I need even more. Luckily, IKEA is quite prepared to bring the missing parts to my doorstep in about two weeks' time. Yippee!

As you might have noticed in the pictures above, my studio has two sets of double doors opening onto the balcony. And this is the view from my main balcony: Lake Soier. Now that's a pretty good reason to come to my studio and attend a workshop or course, don't you think? And if you happen to bring your dear husband with you, no worries. Other women seem to park them on the lake side with a fishing rod.

Oh, and this is me in front of 'you-know-what'. We have three of King Ludwig's castles in our back garden. Another fine reason to come to this part of the world. Especially as the castles house a wealth of embroidered soft furnishings. And the interior design of the castles is sure to spark new embroidery ideas.

And this is Timmie the cat. He so much wanted to be in this blog post. Well here you go cyber cat!

So what does your stitching place look like? Where you successful in evicting your partner and/or children from part of the house? Or are you confined to a favourite chair and stitching stand? Do share your stories below!