(Photo credit: calamity Kim! Thanks for letting me include this, Kim!!)
The good news is you do NOT have to make each triangle separately. I repeat: you DO NOT have to make each triangle separately. Lot of folks still do, especially if they want each prairie point to be a different color/print.
I say f(&* that. I’m going to show you how to make long strips of continuous, nesting prairie points from a single length of fabric. It’s fast, it easy, its fun. Here we go…
Step 1:
Cut a strip of fabric. The width should be 4 times bigger than the size of your finished prairie point. Fold the strip in half and iron the crease. Open and whip out your scissors. Here’s comes step #2.
Step #2:
Using a ruler, mark out squares along one side of the crease. Snip all the way to the fold. On the other side, off-set your squares by 1/2 the size of your squares. (If you’re making 2″ squares, skip the first 1″ and start marking from there.) Cut out that dead space at the start of your second side – you don’t want it there.
Step #3:
Here comes the origami. Don’t panic that I don’t have a pic of folding the very first square. I got so excited that I forgot to take a picture. Like I said, don’t worry – they are all folded the same way, from the first prairie point to the last. Start with the first, top square. Fold the top right hand corner down so that it meets with the bottom left hand corner.
Step #4
Now take the top left hand point and fold it down so that it meets with the bottom right hand corner. Done! Now, move on to the next square (on the bottom row this time…)
Keep on repeating this again and again. Nest the prairie points as you go by making the final fold (step #4) *over* the last prairie point. Stick ‘em where ever. I would baste along the exposed edge before attempting to insert them into any seams.
Enjoy!
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Ooh-this is great information! I’ll be linking, thanks so much for sharing!
That’s a time saver for sure- that folding technique. I would appreciate, very much, perhaps, some small photo credit on the “traditional example” if you don’t mind.
Thanks and happy stitching,
xo,
calamity kim
Done, done and DONE! Thanks for the reminder Kim! =) I really appreciate you letting me use this beautiful pic. If you guys haven’t checked out calamity Kim’s blog do it now! She has tons of cute cute quilting eye candy and she’s having an awesome giveaway right now to celebrate her apron being published in Apronology!!!!! Go Kim!!!!
Check it out here:
http://calamitykim.typepad.com
hugs!
erin
THanks! Very clear instructions – I’m eager to try it! My kids had a baby quilt with triangle edges, and I’ve always wanted to find out how that was done! Thank you
Should’t the width be 2 times not 4 times the size you want the points? I cut the fabric 4 times the width and had enormous prairie points.
Thanks so much for your info on the prarie points. I lost my directions for the continuous points and have been searching for them. Thanks again. Nora
I just had an ah-ha moment with this! If you sewed two strips together and then cut like in your tutorial to the sewing line, you could have alternating prairie points instead of all one color/print
I am confused about the measurement, is it two time or four times the size you need?
Exactly what I was looking for to trim my 1930′s pieced and appliqued quilt. Thanks
Thanks so much for your great post! I shared it on twitter
Very clever! I will definitely use this method. And I like the variation of using two fabrics to get alternating points.
This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing! I am getting ready for my first ever attempt of prairie points and I am so glad I found your tutorial before I started making them individually!
Great tutorial! I just have to try this as an edge on a baby quilt… Thank you!
Thanks for the tutorial – went to Quilters Guild last night and they taught us – so this is great thanks
How do you do the corners? I know when you do the traditional way, you can space the peaks out for the corners but I’m not sure when it’s a continuous strip. Thanks so much!
4 x width is right. If I want 1″ tall points, I need a 4″ wide strip. I will cut 2″ squares on either side of center, and fold down to 1″ triangles. Be sure you are measuring how TALL points should be, and going 4x that amount for width of strip. I taped a couple of sheets of typing paper together and made a sample – great for my quilting scrapbook, no ironing needed, and I can write directions on it, too!
I haven’t done prairie points yet and this lookd so easy the way you’ve done it. Thank you.
!
Think I’ll try the two colour version after I’ve mastered the single colour though
What a great tute. It actually makes sense and gives me the courage to give them a try.
Gail
??? Trying to do the continuous prairie points and the instructions have me very confused!
1. cut fabric 4 times larger than you want the point to be..example please I tried 4″ for a 1 ” point if it’s 2″ you want you cut an 8″ strip and divide it into two?
2.use the ruler mark out each square? is this 1 inch or 4 “????
3.What do you mean by “cut out the dead space at the start of your second side? is that the 1/2″ allowance???
In your directions for #3 start with the top square fold right corner to bottom of left (is this at the fold?)
4.In #4 again you say take the top left point…..what happens to the bottom of the crease??
I really want to try this, but I am not understanding! Please let me know.
Thanks much
Mary Lou