The Women of the Bible study started today!

Each week (for an entire year) a different woman is studied, and there is a quilt block representative of that woman.  The block below represents Eve.  Trees, garden path, tree of knowledge in the center.  A lot of people like to use red for the center tree to show the 'fruit'.  But that looks a bit too 'apple-ish' to me and I've never found where it says she ate a red peice of fruit.  Anyway, I did my center in gold-ish, more representing God, and the fact that she wanted to be like God.  This is just one of 52 blocks that will later be put together for one fantastic quilt.

I don't think it's bad for my first go.  You can see where the edges aren't exactly square - I always have that problem, even with accurate cutting and a 1/4 inch foot.  If you have any tips, please share!  While I'm usually a bright/bold type of gal, I'll be using Daiwabo Taupes for this quilt.  I've stashed fat eigths for a while and it's time to put them to use.

Off to go rally the girls.  Orchestra starts today too - fun fun fun!

Mrs. L

After my Mad Libs, I was asked, "What is a Koala Cabinet?"

A Koala Cabinet is a sewing table.  It begins looking like a normal table/cabinet.  If you had a lamp, a vase of flowers and a stack of books on it, no one would ever suspect its secret identity.  When you want to sew, you open it up, pull out all the extentions, and get to work.  When you're done (in theory) you close it back up again and your room is back to normal.

This is a picture of the model I have - and yes, when you order one, it comes with a stuffed Koala Bear!

Mine, however, does not look this nice and neat at the moment.  I've been working on covering a settee cushion and throw pillows today, so it's a bit of a disaster.

These are lovely tables.  Very well built, very easy to maneuver, beautiful to work at.  I'm lucky enough to have parents who own a quilt shop, so I was able to get mine at cost.  I never could have purchased it otherwise.

Mrs. L

I am on a quest to refuse the "Fast and Easy" trend of sewing, living, cooking, etc.  Everything on the market is "quick, easy and fun".  Enough.  I want to put forth effort.  I want to get frustrated and learn something along the way.

I wanted a project complicated enough that it had the potential to make me cry.  (I'll never say THAT again - I did cry, a lot, when I lost the battle with the rotary cutter!  {See prior post.})

It's the cutest diaper bag pattern I've ever seen.  The recipient has done the nursery in deeper tones, with a slight retro style.

Front

buttoned pocket, side gussetted pockets

Back

flat pocket

Inside

two ruched pockets (looks like one big one)

Inside

one lg zipped pocket, two smaller flats

two ruched bottle pockets on the inside ends

It has a matching bib, changing pad, id tag, urp towel, and an insulated bottle bag.  It can be made to use as a beach bag or general tote as well.  Despite the accident, this is my favorite project to date.

If you're interested in the pattern, go to the Quilt Studio and email Fran about the pattern.

So, what are you going to try - that's NOT fast and easy?

Let me know!

Mrs. L

In the fall, I started looking at this big, beautiful wall and imagined it COVERED in floor to ceiling bookcases, complete with the library ladder and everything.  Mr. L laughed.

Here's our compromise!

The bookcases and glass doors are from IKEA  They were out of our budget, but Mr L discovered the 'as is' section.  Since he works about 5 minutes from IKEA, he just took the van to work every few days and checked into the 'as is' section to see if they had another bookshelf to add to our collection.  After 6 or 7 visits, he had all 7 book cases.  All have a little scratch or ding, and were thus assembled (what a perk) and discounted (yet another perk) 30 - 50%.  When we went for the doors, it happened to be their 20th anniversary and everything was 20% off.  Yeah!

All of this library stuff required us to rework our living room/family room set ups.  Once those changes were in the works we decided what to do about the guest room and a bedroom for the new children.  We shifted the guest room because we don't want children in the bedroom with the front facing window.  Once those rooms were shifted, I got to work on the guest room.

It used to be my sewing room.  The sewing room is now condensed into half the guest room closet, an amoire in my bedroom, and the Koala Cabinet against the far wall in the library.  (You can see it in the picture above.)

Hey - I never even thought about that before - a library/sewing room combination.  Love that!

Getting a closet system installed in the girls' room is next.  After that is the garden and then getting a grip on the spare room for the new children.

Fun fun fun!

Mrs L