Landlust

When I was in Germany over Christmas I came across the latest issue of "Landlust", a living/gardening/cooking magazine.

“Landlust” started in October 2005. In November/December 2005 it had 10 000 readers. Latest known figures:
648 866 sold issues in August 2009. It’s a big success and if you get the chance to have a look in one of their recent issues you'll understand why:
Beautiful images, mouth-watering recipes, useful tips for gardening, inspirational decorating suggestions, peeks in craftsmen’s workshops, knitting instructions for cute gloves... all presented in a lovely way.

When I first found it I really enjoyed reading this magazine, in fact I read six copies in a week. I found it very relaxing, as it was not about celebrities, the hottest clubs and the latest fashion, but about slowing down and enjoying simple pleasures. You’ll find quiet and detailed observations of everyday occurrences, traditional craftsmanship, and sustainable products that are easy to read and that appreciate the finer things of life.

The overall impression of the magazine is extended by the use of matte paper that looks and feels much better than glossy magazines.

Topics are often related to country living. Alongside “Landlust” the publisher, Landwirtschaftsverlag Münster, mainly publishes agricultural magazines, like Top Argar, which my father is reads regularly. I recently read that the chief editor Ute Frieling-Huchzermeyer, who studied agriculture and was writing for Top Agrar before, has no computer in her office. She prefers to dictate her texts and discuss topics. She has finished articles printed out to proofread.

I’m very lucky, my sister gave my mum a subscription for this magazine for Christmas, and my mum keeps all the magazines for me to read when I am back in Germany. :)

I liked their topics; informative, inspiring and beautifully photographed.

I recently became proud owner of a garden. It still looks a bit like the car park it was, but I am trying to do my best to change that.

They also feature on crafting and DIY.

When I checked their website I found they've got most instructions available online.
These cute gloves are knitted with Rowan yarns, and as this is manufactured in a nearby village I am very tempted to go there, stock up with their fine threads and get the knitting needles out.

As a textile lover I was thrilled when I found photographs of old embroidery sample cloths on their website.

I nearly forgot: “Landlust” is published every second month and costs 3,80 Euros. They do subscriptions world wide.

Have a look on their website here: http://www.landlust.de
I just had a glimpse at the March/April issue there and cannot wait to read it.

Happy weekend

Inspiration in sunlight

I took some more photographs of my inspiration board on Monday. The sun was pouring in through the big pane windows and it was a lot of fun to capture some details.

Tales from a textile studio

While I was working on the inspiration board for this blog, I finally found the name I was looking for. And it was there all along.

I feel I do really need to change the name. Though I liked "Tapetenwechsel" and what it stands for, I think most people probably will not be able to pronounce it (or remember it).

Any thoughts?

Inspiration

So here it is, my inspiration board.

I'll print this image and put it in the notebook you see in the bottom left corner, where I keep a record of things that inspire me. As this inspiration board should show my personal style and how I want my blog to look like, I decided to assemble some of my work* on the table, instead of  just sticking cut out pictures from magazines onto a board, like I have done previously for coursework at university. I will take some images of those mood boards this week to share them with you here on my blog.

I should have taken the photograph in natural light, but I admit, I didn't. Sorry. 

I had a very busy week and today, after lunch, I wanted to have a short nap, before I finish my homework and woke up hours later. By then the little daylight that we get here in the north of England in February was gone. I can sleep for hours and still feel tired - maybe the energy burst you should have in your second trimester of pregnancy is just a myth.

Anyway - I got up and took some images of the board, without flash, in my textile studio, but was not too happy with them. So I went through to my partner's photography studio and used the big daylight flash.

[image I took in my textile studio - not too happy with it]

I left the arrangement on the floor and will go back tomorrow afternoon (if I get back home early enough that is) and take some daylight pictures from different angles.

*I put two of my fabric designs in the background and arranged some of the things I make and sell in my Etsy shop on top, together with some of the materials and tools I use, oh - and a couple of pictures I cut out from a magazine.

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