What's a prairie point? Well, you take a square piece of fabric, fold it in half diagonally, do it once again, then bring the edges in to the middle. Sew it down. Repeat and make a long, long string of them. Now you can add these points on to anything, just as you would a trim.In "Prairie Points Madness" I described how I became enamored with this folding technique. I'm back at it! I finished a couple of cuffs and hats (one sold before I could photograph it) and will have more ready soon. The pieces shown here are now listed on Etsy. Click on the images to go to the listings.
The photos below show cuffs that use prairie points. The same cuff is shown twice, flat and closed. They remind me a bit of Victorian accessories and are sure to get some attention when worn!
A friend of mine gave me a box full of rayon and linen strips that had been cut into rectangles. I imagine someone was going to make a bunch of quilts with them, which I might do, too, but I really like how the fabric looks when it is folded into these points. The sheen and shape resemble necktie tips, don't they?
Quilters often use small prairie points to decorate quilt edges. Many people do not follow the last step I mentioned of folding the edges in, preferring to have a simple triangle instead. This makes it lighter and saves on fabric. They can also be inserted slightly into each other, creating a layered triangular look, which is also very nice. If you decide to experiment with the technique I am showing here, know that the more layers you sew on, the heavier the piece will become.
I love how this hat turned out! Imagine a forest fairy darting around with it. Wouldn't it look great with a kilt? The inside is lined with black velvet, making it soft and warm.
Have you used prairie points in anything you have made? I would love to hear about how other people are using them and I'll make sure to post more photos when I have new things made.
Fabulous hat and cuffs! Maybe they would work on necklaces too? Neck wraps? Oblong scarves? Anyway, I think they look very stylish.
ReplyDeletei have been thinking about doing pairie points on a quilt - but thought they might be too tricky. I might give them a go now! they look great on the hat - i agree with Morna - very stylish
ReplyDeletePaula- the squares I am using are fairly big, around 4" square and the fabric is thick. If you want to incorporate them into the body of a quilt, you can go smaller and use lighter fabric.
ReplyDeleteUsually, when people use them as a trim, they are much smaller. But, they could also be flower petals or frame an area within a quilt. In the other article, "Prairie Point Madness", I have photos of a "rug" I made. It got very heavy so I quilted the center. It looked great as a throw on a couch and did sell on Etsy.
Try a small doily first, so you get the hang of it.
Could be incorporated as border of a table runner, or a penny rug.
ReplyDeletehot damn girlfriend!!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!! i've been waiting for you to do some cuffs (i mean the one on your henna hand is so gorgeous!!!)... and now we have the entire ensemble...hat and cuff... voila'!!!!!
ReplyDeletegreat job capital "R" Rachel.... will you be selling them?
I LOVE this hat!!!
ReplyDeleteDeb
p.s. I have empty cat food bags for you. I'll drop them off.
I was perusing hats in Etsy the other day and came across these in your shop. Fun to read about how you made them!
ReplyDeleteThose prairie points are gorgeous! I love the hat.
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