Punch needle project and an award

I've started a project that I've been thinking about for a while...remember my punch needle pillow? Well, I've decided to do a punch needle quilt! I think with straight line machine quilting this will be quite interesting.

This is the first block finished...well, not quite finished-its untrimmed and unblocked! What do you think of the variegated pearl cotton...I'm not sure myself but DH really likes it.Here's the second block I'm working on...these don't really take very long and are fun to do. I'm using crochet cotton and/or pearl cotton. This is the back...you can just see the pencil drawn pattern.
Here's the front.
I'm taking the patterns from this book...its the pattern book for a York County, Pennsylvania applique quilt that is believed to have been made in 1854.
I was given an award!

I'm so fortunate to have met so many lovely bloggers and two of them have given me the Versatile Bloggers award: LV from Thoughts from Meme's Corner ,an eighty year old wonder blogger and P from The Way I Sew It, a wonderful quilter! Do visit their blogs.

Here are the rules of the award: say thank you and link back...thank you ladies!, tell 7 things about myself and I'm to pass it on to 15 bloggers. I've decided to use this opportunity to introduce you to bloggers I've never linked to before.

First though 7 things about myself...hmm, well at least it doesn't say 7 interesting things.

1. My newest have-to-watch re-runs (we get a lot of old shows here!) are Stargate Atlantis.

2. I love the Dixie Chicks.

3. I can't sing for beans but that doesn't stop me from Karaoke.

4. What I love about quilting is there's always something new to try and something new to learn.

5. I can't knit and I've given up trying.

6. I'm a great procrastinator so I give myself due dates...and join challenges.

7. I'm only competitive when it comes to board games.

And now for the blog list: enjoy visiting!

1. For a hilarious look at baking, visit Cake Wrecks.

2. Visit an on-line embroidery community at the Embroidery Blog.

3. For a look at mid-century houses, furnishings, etc. visit No Pattern Required.

4. If VTT once a week isn't enough for you, visit Oodles and oodles.

5. Aunt Pitty Pat's

6. Taryn at Repro Quilt Lover

7.Kris at Summer at Grandma's House

8.Lisa at A Thread from the Edge

9.BJ at Ice Cream Mountain Quilts

10.Wenche at Pieces of Time

11.Nicole at Who does these things?

12.Jaimie at Baby Boomer Quilting Bee

13.Everyday Chaos

14.Andi at Patch Andi

15. Two Hippos

UFO 9 Patch Finish and an Award

I've been just chugging along. I'm sewing the binding to the back on DS's quilt and I've put the borders on the UFO 9 patch and pieced the back...next up is basting!
Pati at A Crafty Escape is so nice. She gave me this lovely Versatile Blogger award. Thanks, Pati.The Rules for the award are:
1. Thank the person who gave you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic! (in no particular order...)
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

7 Things about me:

1. The name on my birth certificate is Merryl. :)

2. I love bad horror movies-the dopier it is, the happier I am.

3. I don't have a green thumb so having pity for the plants I don't garden. If someone gives us a houseplant as a gift, straightaway DH and the kids start guessing how long it will take me to kill it. (Really, one week is a bit ridiculous-one month is much more realistic.)

4. My favorite food is cheese!

5. I like cooking...

6. I love baking...

7. I hate housework! Laundry is the bane of my life.

Now I've come to the hard part...15 versatile bloggers! Just 15...impossible! So all you versatile bloggers out there just help yourselves to this award. Let me know and I'll link back to you here on my blog...I'd love to know 7 more things about you!

Bow Tie Quilt Border?

This is a bow tie quilt top that has been in the closet for ages. I thought I would quilt it to have ready for the next time the Haifa ladies give quilts to Rambam Hospital's Childrens Ward. It is on the small size and I know they would prefer larger quilts so I thought I would add another border. My idea was to add a red and white checkerboard using these fabrics. But I really wasn't sure how much I would like it.

I started with this fabric, sewing strips...as I was sewing the second strip set of this same fabric, the light dawned! I had enough of this fabric with the muslin for the whole border: no checkerboard!

Since I had already sewn two strip sets and I hate picking out...I decided to sew two more strip sets and add the two fabrics together as the border with a 4-patch in the corners.

Now, here's my dillemna: which way should I turn the 4-patches.

Style number one: the muslin border is continuous around the quilt like the blue border.

Style number 2:

I think I like style number 2...but help! Opinions welcome! :)

I need some help on something else too. I'd like to redo my side bar and add more blogs that I like to visit and I want it with the link showing the title and date of that blog's last post...and maybe a picture too but I have no idea how to do it! ...so can someone please e-mail me instructions. Please :)

I have found another blogging quilter resource: http://www.quiltqua.com/ Connie has lots of info there including a list of quilt bloggers and give-aways...and let me tell you, some of those give-aways are incredible! One is for a $10,ooo sewing room redo!!

Speaking of quilter resources: I have sent off my Spring Blooms Mini Quilt Swap quilt hosted by Michelle of the Quilting Gallery. I can't show any pix until my partner receives it...hope she likes it as much as I liked making!

I've had so much trouble with our internet connection these last few weeks, that I haven't been able to pass along an award I was so nicely given by Annie. This is a fun award: it has to go to blogs that are new to you.

Here are the rules for this terrific award!

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are the new blogs that I have visited! No, they are not all quilting blogs! :)

http://quiltsalott.blogspot.com/
http://quiltinlibrarylady.blogspot.com/
http://humblequilts.blogspot.com/
http://too-many-hobbies.blogspot.com/
http://www.shessewpretty.typepad.com/
http://devondesigns-mary.blogspot.com/
http://mamanjackjack.blogspot.com/
http://www.nopatternrequired.com/
http://auntiesquaintquilts.blogspot.com/
http://quiltingallday.blogspot.com/
http://inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com/
http://www.thestilettomom.com/
http://ansewon.blogspot.com/
http://celasia.canalblog.com/ This is in French but don't let that stop you...oh the eye candy!
http://gwendiesquilts.blogspot.com/


Have fun visiting them!

Exciting news

I'm so thrilled. I've been given an award by Maggie of Magpies Collectibles. It is so generous of her and I can't say thank you! enough times. Make sure you stop by her wonderful blog-there is lots to see there!

And now its time for me to pass this award on. The Rules of this award are :

1. 5 People are allowed to receive this award
2. 4 dedicated followers
3. 1 New follower to your blog who lives in another part of the world.
4. Please link back to the person who gave you this award.

And I'm passing it on to these blogging friends:

1. Susan at http://homespunquilts.blogspot.com/
2. Linnea at http://neabearsewingandcraftmess.blogspot.com/
3. Susan Lewis at http://susanquilts.blogspot.com/
4. Ulla at http://kotkarankki.blogspot.com/
5 Kris at http://quiltbeadsandothersuch.blogspot.com/