Hi, another "ignore the rugs" person chiming in. :-) But do as I say, not as I do. Even though theoretically I ignore rugs, I always lend half an eye and try to play along, at least when piling more than one rug into a room. They usually have to be a similar style...tribal + tribal, for example. And I do admit to buying an orange chair to go with an orange stripe in the last house. Call me a hypocrite! I think you should revisit the gray idea. And I think that the way to love gray is not only to find the right one, but to use either full spectrum paint (Ellen Kennon) or maybe Farrow & Ball. Now that you seem to be fully into the paint addiction thing (welcome!) I feel comfortable suggesting that. You talk about "glowy" and that is exactly what you get with one of these more complicated paints. If you could find a warm gray or a greige in a paint that has a lot of life in it, I bet you would really love it. If you don't have it, I suggest sending away for the F&B free color card. There are a couple dozen really interesting neutrals that might be fun to explore. Yes, these boutique paints are not cheap, but if you're willing to spend the $$$ to change the rugs/furniture, fancy paint will feel like a bargain! I worry about using the deeper colors, particularly blue, on a thirty foot wall. That scares me a bit, but I don't know the space. In that regard, my guess is that a mid-tone would be better, but a mid-tone blue? I just don't know. I love the rugs and think the pink sofa is really refreshing. I'd hate to see the wall color take over, IYKWIM. How's that Georgian Green looking today?

This is not the first time I have heard of someone other than the owner of the store browbeat a person new to quilting. It happens.....why? Reasons could be as different as the people involved. Maybe the person "beating" you in that manner wanted to appear superior to you, as in "I know more than you, so listen to me." Maybe that person was just trying to drum up more business for the shop owner. Maybe you weren't yet one of their store's groupies and she didn't have the time to deal with a newbie. Who knows...... Questions for a new quilter: are you planning to make a large bed quilt your first time out? Perhaps you could make a few blocks to see if the Log Cabin block is really for you? I agree that watching videos on beginning quilting and the Log Cabin block would be helpful. I made a baby quilt using the Log Cabin block and do not think it would be difficult for a beginner. I agree with Beverly that buying jelly rolls for your project might not be the best. They could be cut incorrectly and not on the grain of the fabric, and, learning to correctly cut your own fabric pieces for the quilt block is a very important part of the learning process, in my opinion. We're here to help you in any way we can. Teresa

bpath, I takes a while for them to dry. I am now using her fitted sheets (easier) and they seem to dry more quickly. I think they are not as thick as the flat sheets. With the flat sheets as a bottom sheet I usually had to wait three or four hours, but we keep our heat pretty low. If I am in a hurry, I close the doors to the bedroom and turn the heat up to 70. Then, it will only take an hour or so. I am retired, no kids at home, and no schedule to meet. I honestly love these sheets! I also use the towels in the summer, although I prefer terrycloth towels in the winter! It is astounding how absorbent the linen is. ETA: If I am feeling lazy, I do not iron the pillow slips, but I do like the look of freshly ironed linen and I do not mind ironing at all.

I am not a fan of Stainless Steel. Had it years ago and hated it, got convinced when I moved and needed a fridge to get Stainless - "it's improved since 40 years ago . . . " BS - it is still a pain to keep clean and streak free and drives me crazy. I would have no issues doing black with linen cabinets. I would be more likely to pair black with linen than silver or bright white if I were picking clothes or creating a piece of art. Color is color and what colors really look good together is the same in a home as in a painting or an outfit. Homes just have bigger surface areas that can get overwhelming and drown everything else out if you have too much color.