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Monday, March 10, 2014

The Rest of the Story - DWM 3/10/14

Are you ready to hear the rest of the story about Scheherazade?  If you're new to the blog, you can read my earlier post HERE where I began the story of my plans for this really old Dinosaur UFO.

So.......Once Upon a Time.......

Well, okay, this is a long story and you may not want to read it all (LOL!!!), so let me begin at the end ..... here is Scheherazade, all finished!

It's straight - I promise!

I have to say I'm fairly happy with it, but not thrilled like I hoped to be.  It's certainly better than just slapping on a few plain borders.  But I'm pretty disappointed because my plans for this quilt's border design were an epic FAIL :(

I had all kinds of ideas flowing about ways to dress up this quilt, and spent hours drawing possible designs that fit in with the Arabian Nights theme.


I worked in EQ7 for hours trying to figure out how to make custom borders - still haven't figured that one out!  But I do have a few books on the way to help me in the future - LOL!!!

My main thought was to try to soften all those sharp edges in the Buzzsaw design in the center, and I wanted to pull that wonderful print into the outer border somehow.  But I had to figure out a way to get good separation of the pieces.  So, I pulled out Susan Cleveland's book, Piping Hot Curves......

I'll link this book and project up with Sharon Vrooman's Let's Book It party!!!

Susan came to our Guild in 2009 and taught several classes.  She is an amazing quilter and such a nice person - we all loved her!  The class I took was about inserting piping in the seams of curves to dress up a quilt design.




I loved the class and totally LOVED the effect of the piping to give that extra little ZING!  I even got a little button to "officially" state that I am a Piping Hottie LOL!!!

Blocks made in class in 2009

I got busy working on a corner design using the piping technique to give the pieces definition, and I have to say I was very happy with the design itself and how it turned out.






But I was totally disappointed in the way it looked on the quilt.  Here it is just pinned on to test it out.....


It just seems to make the quilt too fussy.  Too much going on.  And I ended up liking it better without all the fussy corners.  I'm sure glad I only made up the one!  I'm happy with the stepped side borders design that I ended up with, and I'm sure I'll be happy with this quilt for many years.  But I'm also pretty sure I'll always look at it and think about what could have been if I had been a little more seasoned as a designer!

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As for the rest of my design wall, I saw Lesley, the Cuddle Quilter, making some really cool hexie braids on her blog HERE and was immediately smitten - actually I think most of the blog world was just as smitten!  But when I checked out the price of that ruler I decided it would have to wait a while :O

Then I got a bright idea!  I have several sets of Marti Michell templates, and the Large and Small Hexagons have been sitting in my templates box for ages - never used.  I thought, why not try it?  So I pulled out some of my 2-1/2" strips, lined them up with the largest hexagon template, cut, sewed..... and quick as a wink I had Scrappy Braids!!!!


Aren't these cool???  Super, super easy!!!
And I didn't have to buy anything - I love it!!!


I think these will make a wonderful Leader/Ender project for a scrappy quilt, so I've cut up a bunch of them and set them by my machine.  This also means I can mark off my NewFO Challenge project for March - yoohoo!!!!

And the April Bertie BOM package arrived Saturday!


Don't you just LOVE those cute little bunny ears on Bertie?  
Bless her heart, she really does get into the holidays, doesn't she?   

I got totally sidetracked from the March Bertie and hadn't touched it in quite a while, so I thought it might be just as easy to work on them both together.


Yesterday I finished up the buttonhole stitching on both, and got the HSTs ready for applying to the borders.   The hand stitched embellishments are going to be fun on both of these :*)

So what's on your Design Wall?  
Share with us at Judy's Patchwork Times!
Also linking up with Freemotion's Tuesday Linky Party!
Have a lovely week!!!!

Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
=^..^=

24 comments:

  1. Oh my, that April Bertie is just adorable!

    I think your quilt is stunning ... But I can imagine your disappointment at not being able to create what you were imagining.

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  2. I really like the idea of the piping as it does add a lot to the pieces.

    That braid is beautiful. Great leader and ender piece!

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  3. It turned out great! I would never blame the designer/quilter/myself... I always blame the bossy quilt for demanding what it wanted!! LOL
    Those Bertie blocks are just so darling... love the little caps each month :)
    And the braid is a fantastic leader ender for scraps!
    Fun blog post!

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  4. Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow! Your quilt is amazing...perfect just as it is! And those braids are so pretty,..makes me want to make even more! Love the idea of using them as leader/enders. Bertie is adorable too!

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  5. Another very cute Bertie! The braids are very nice also. Despite what you say, I kind of like the way that corner thing you made pulls your eye away from the center of the quilt and balances out the gold pieces in the middle of the borders.

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  6. That quilt is stunning, even just for it's colours, but the design is great too. Of course, it's understandable that you have a few reservations, if you had a picture in your head of how it would be, but .... looks fabulous to me!! xCathy

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  7. Bertie is my kinda gal. :) I love your Scheherazade ... and I especially love how honest you were about the process and ups and downs with it. I loved the curved piece you mocked up for the corner -- I understand why it wasn't a go, but still -- it was FUN! :)

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  8. What fun projects. Love your Scheeherazade. (glad I only have to type it, I couldn't begin to say it!) LOL

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  9. Oh my! I am exhausted just reading this blog today. You have some great projects going on. I have an idea about Scheherazade (will send off-line). I love your hexie braid and you are just the smartest gal with using what rulers you have!

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  10. That quilt is absolutely STUNNING!!!! You are simply amazing.

    And all your ongoing projects are just as lovely.

    Thanks you for stopping by. I hope you have had a great day. :)

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  11. I think you did an amazing job on the borders of Scheherazade! Who needs those fancy corners, anyway? : )
    You are definitely deserving of the "piping hottie" button!
    Nice innovation on the braid strips.
    Oh, Bertie looks so cute in bunny ears. That nest fabric is perfect, isn't it?

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  12. Часто заглядываю к вам в блог. Нравятся ваши работы. Спасибо!

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  13. Why don't you use that beautiful corner piece as part of your label for your beautiful quilt? Love it!

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  14. Oh I do love the way you were able to use the hexie template that you already had to cut those half hexagons. I will definitely use your method because I love that braid look. Some templates are very expensive here in Australia including that one for the half rectangle triangles...so you've inspired me to find another less expensive way to do that block too.

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  15. The quilt is stunning and either way I think is gorgeous. Lesley's braids are wonderful aren't they? Just make you want to make them.

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  16. That quilt is totally awesome!!

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  17. Teresa, you always have such neat projects! The quilt is beautiful and you really learn so much from all the classes you take....how fun!! Thanks for sharing.
    Freemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday

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  18. (Another book added to my list) ;D Teresa, this quilt is stunning! I love the corner element you made - any plans for it? Knowing you, it'll become something cool!

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  19. That piping looks very complex and intricate! I actually kind of like the piece you made for the corner? Perhaps if you redid the colors in it you may like it better? You better watch out with those braid quilts! You or your hubby may wake up some morning with a new do? LOL

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  20. Goodness you've been busy! I love the quilt, especially the borders! blessings, marlene

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  21. The piping is extraordinary! It adds such a unique element. Was it difficult? I think if you were able to audition all four corners, you may have liked it better! It's a beautiful quilt! I'm so pleased to see your hard work. Sometimes these 'quick and easy' tops grow tiresome. I love your scrappy braid! No need for all those special rulers!! You can do the same with just pieces of strips, too, then trim them. Can't wait to see what you finally do with them.

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  22. Cool idea for that braid!! Love it. Also love your piped corner design. I quite like it on, but I guess you would need to see the quilt itself to make that decision.

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  23. That piping idea is fab...and boy have you been busy...so many wonderful projects.

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