Western Australia that is – where the weather is rather hot and extremely dry and we are wondering how on earth we can re-direct some of the water that seems to be engulfing the eastern half of Australia at an alarming rate!

Hi – my name is Janie Hubble and I have just been appointed to Team S4L’s blogging team … I think that makes two of us now … Jen and me! I was thrilled to be appointed – and I’ll be in charge of the Wednesday posts from now on.

Some of you might know me from the embroidery design company I previously owned (but have subsequently closed down) – The Cat’s Whiskers Design Studio. Some of you might know me from the embroidery company I now operate – Janie Hubble Designs. Some of you might not know me at all!

So, I thought the best way for you to get to know me a little was to use this first post to show you around my studio here in the Perth Hills. This is where I am sitting when I write my posts for this blog. This is also where I dream, concoct, design, stitch, and write for Janie Hubble Designs. In fact, I spend rather a lot of my time here … so it’s a bit like a home inside a home (because it is in fact a home studio).

So, as I usher you in through my studio door – this is what you will see. My very tidy (errrrm … I tidied it because I knew you were going to come for a visit) bookcase full of fabric and project tubs. It’s a Billy bookcase from Ikea – and there’s another one to your right … also very tidy and very full of books and raw materials for making fabric covered boxes and for bookbinding.

Now, turn to your left and you will see my desk, and Marie Antoinette. Marie does rather dominate the wall, doesn’t she? I guess you could say she was my muse … I feel her looking at me quite be-mused on occasions, and quite a-mused on other occasions. Yes, well … moving right along! There is my desk, and my chair, and my computer. And another bookcase (lovingly crafted by the husband) filled with reference material and magazines, and office type stuff. 

Keep turning and you will be facing the wall to the left of my computer. There’s the framed needlework piece sent to me by my dear friend Father Nick, who lives and works in New Orleans. Father Nick attended a class I taught in NOLA in 2007. He stitched all the little kitties I designed over the next couple of years into one sampler, adding a stitched version of my Cat’s Whiskers logo and a wonderful verse which reads ‘a kitty brings comfort throughout the year’. It is one of my most treasured possessions. And there’s my 2011 Year Planner on the wall – it’s going to get very full this year – lots planned, very exciting! Oh, and there’s a new project all ready to be stitched laid out on the cutting board, and more needlework reference books – no room for another bookcase – so they are taking over the benchtops!

Well – that’s my studio! It’s only small, and I’ve run out of wall space – but it’s home and I love it. I hope you enjoyed the tour.  So, this is where I’ll be writing my post for next Wednesday … see you then!