Making Space for Your Hobbies in a Small Home

Remember when I showed you the bright quilt I made to add a little character to our apartment?

I seem to be really drawn to bright colors these days.  I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of sunshine we’ve been getting in Germany.  (Do you know what April showers bring in Germany?  No May flowers and Mayflowers bringing Pilgrims.  Nope.  April showers bring May showers.  It’s no wonder this country is such a beautiful, luscious green.)

My obsession with bright splashes of color was getting to be a bit much for Martin.  I guess there’s nothing like waking up to a dark house with (boom!) a bright yellow couch, (bang!) neon green dishes, and (wowzers!) a florescent quilt to go with it all.

So I promised to make him something a little less intense.

And here it is in progress:

Because our house is so small, we do not have the luxury of leaving projects out.  When I sew, I have to bring everything from the shelf in the bedroom and set it up in the living room.

Sewing machine on the table.

Old sewing box and cutting mat on the counter.

And ironing station on the coffee table.  (We don’t have an ironing board.)

You can easily see that when I sew, it takes up our entire living space.  I can’t just sew for an hour or two, then put everything back away.  I also can’t work without making it completely impossible for Martin to do anything at the same time.  I’ve never sat 15 feet away from a somebody using a sewing machine, but I’m pretty sure it’s really difficult.

So here’s another trick for surviving in a small space: make sure you leave the house.  Make sure you give the other person living there the chance to be at home alone.

I go run errands or meet with friends every week when I know Martin will be home.  He visits his family or attends his favorite clubs.  And the person left behind gets to spread out without worrying about stepping on toes, being too loud, or just generally bothering the other person.  And that’s when I sew.

The amazing thing is that I don’t mind pulling out my supplies every time.  If anything, I feel like I am more productive because I cannot wander into my creative space whenever I want. It’s only available at certain times.

Then I like to pick everything up before Martin gets home.  All that remains are tiny strings all over the floor.  If it weren’t illegal to vacuum in the evenings, I’d have those strings picked up, too.  (Germany has these amazing quiet hour laws.  Anything that’s a disturbance of peace can only operate during certain hours of the day – vacuums and washing machines included.)

So there you have it – our little tricks for staying sane and totally letting each other stretch out and enjoy a few hobbies at home.  Now it’s your turn.  We’d love to know about your favorite hobbies.  (Any other sewers out there?)  And how do you juggle life and hobby?