Setting a block On Point

One of the groups I am in are doing a Round Robin and one round is - turn the block on point. I looked at all the info and really couldnt work out just where to start. I've been quilting for almost 30 years, so I thought if I'm having a problem, what about others that have not been doing it as long as I have. So, this is what I did. Not saying it is the right way, and there might be an easier way, but this is how I did it.

I decided I wanted 2" strips (cut 2-1/2) with posts in the corners, and a triangle along the middle of the original block side. Sort of like Log Cabin, but not quite.

First, I measured the length of the original block sides - it was 18-1/2 inches. I have a book that is called "Taking the Math out Making Patchwork Quilts" by Bonnie Leman & Judy Martin. There's all sorts of useful info in this little book, including diagonal measurements of squares, so this is what I used. I had to work backwards tho. And it wasnt exactly to size. Like ... for an 18-1/2" side, the closest was 18-3/8". Good enough for me. The size of square for that was 13", so that's what size I worked on.

I figured if it was a full square (and not a triangle) there would be a centre square and 2 rounds, so my centre square would be 5" and then 2 rounds of 2" (well, 2 each side remember), that would give me a 13" square finished.

So, I did a trial run and it seemed to work, so I bit the bullet. :-)

OK. Here we go .......

Cut 2 squares 5-7/8" and cut on one diagonal

(you will now have 4 triangles.)

From the same fabric, cut eight 2-1/2" squares.

You will need 2 colours for the strips. I used one light and one dark.

From the light fabric you will need 8 pieces 2-1/2" x about 8"

From the dark fabric, you will need 8 pieces 2-1/2" x about 12"

Construction:

Stitch one 8" light strip to a short side of the triangle. Your strip will be quite a bit longer, but thats OK. Press the seam towards the strip. Make sure it is all nice and flat. press both sides (right and wrong side), just to make sure it is good and flat.

Lay the unit right side up on your cutting mat. Now, look at your ruler. Somewhere on one end there will be lines that show you the degree of angle. You are looking for the 45 deg. line. You need to line up that line with the outer edge of the strip you just added, and the edge of the ruler should be lined up with the bottom of the triangle and across the excess of the strip. Make sure everything lines up, then trim off the excess.

Actually, on this picture I've lined the 45 deg line up with the other side of the triangle, but that works too.

Next, sew a small square onto a light strip and press towards the square.

Butt the seams and sew this strip onto the other side of the triangle. Press the seam towards the strip, then line up the 45 deg. line on the ruler and trim off.

We are half way there. It's not so bad, is it?

Now take a dark strip and sew that onto one side, as before. Press towards the strip and trim off. Add a small square to a 12" length and sew that on the other side, butting the seams so they fit nice and neat.

Hey presto, you have one side done. You need to make 3 more, just like that!

Now find the centre of the large triangle and the centre of the block. Pin this point, right sides together, of course.

You will find that the points of the new large triangle extend about half an inch longer than the block. That's right, they should. In this pic I have left a little of the block showing so you can see better. Pin generously and sew carefully.

Try not to handle the large triangle too much, as the long side is all bias and could stretch. We are almost there!

When you add an adjoining side, you need to leave a quarter inch dog-ear, as shown in this pic.

And finally, this is what the centre of your new block will look like. I havent trimmed off the dog-ears yet. I'll leave that for the next RR member.

Cant show you a pic of the whole block yet. Dont want the recipient to see too much.

Hope you can follow these instructions. I'd love some feed-back on this - good or bad. This is only my second tutorial, so I'm still learning.

Have fun with this, especially the girls in the RR.

Cheers,

Faye.

CONTINUOUS BAND PRAIRIE POINTS (or Picket Fence)

This is my first tutorial - someone on my on-line group wanted to know how I did my Continuous Prairie Points, so I decided to "have a go". I hope you can follow it.

This is a finished strip.

Using this method, the points are always evenly spaced and the same size. I like to work on lengths of about 20”, so you could use fat quarters but there would be more wastage.

My example is based on a 4” original square. You can make them any size, but I find on a quilt the 4” is quite large enough, and when I have made 5” it really doesn’t make much difference to the finished size of the Point but uses quite a lot more fabric. I use a 3” on cushions.

1. Cut an 8” wide strip the width of the fabric (selvege to selvege). The 8” is twice the basic square size. Trim off the selveges

2. With wrong sides together, fold the band in half lengthwise. Press well. You need to be able to see the centre fold line.

3. Open the fabric out and with the wrong side up, begin working from one end. On the top side of the pressed centre line, mark lines from the centre fold to the edge, starting 4” from the end.

4. On the bottom side of the centre line, your first mark will be half the square size (in this case 2”), and from then on every 4”, so that the lines either side of the centre fold are staggered.

5. Cut away the 2” marked piece (you cant make a point out of that!). Then cut all the marked lines, from outer edge to the centre fold line. Be careful not to cut past the fold. I like to do this with scissors, cos I cant judge properly where to stop with the rotary cutter. This is when I cut the length in half (along the centre fold, between 2 staggered cuts).

6. Working at the ironing board so that the folds can be pressed as you go, place the fabric wrong side up. Assuming you are right handed, you will be working from the right hand side to the left. Press the first square into a half square triangle, working away from the iron, so that the fold goes from the bottom right to the top left. Press all the squares along this side the same way.

7. Press the bottom squares, also away from the iron, so the fold goes from the top right (fold line) to the bottom outer edge.

8. Now for the Points! Take the top of the first triangle and fold it back down on itself (the top of the triangle comes back down to the beginning folded edge) to make another smaller triangle. It’s a Prairie Point, but it’s joined at the fold!

9. Flip this small triangle down, so that when you fold the bottom triangle up, this first one is enclosed in the second triangle.

Pin to hold in place. Make sure the pin heads are on the straight edge.

10. Flip these 2 Points up and fold down the next triangle and pin to keep in place.

11. Keep flipping and folding back, then pinning, until you reach the end of the strip.

12. Press well but carefully (especially if your pins are plastic heads).

You might end up with lots of 20” strips of triangles, but believe me, if you have to move a 40” strip of loose cut squares it takes ages to straighten it out! 20” is much more user friendly.

How much fabric, you ask? Well, you measure the length of the sides and work out how many cuts of 40” (width of the fabric ) you need and cut that many 8” strips.


To join to your quilt. Trim the edges of your quilt, then pin the batting and backing out of the way. Join the Prairie Points to your quilt top, right sides and raw edges together, with a ¼” seam. You will find that you can ease or stretch the lengths to fit quite easily. But, if you find that it just isn’t working, cut 3 or 4 points individually and space them to fit right to the corner. There will not be a point on the corners. It just doesn’t work that way, even if you cut them individually.

Trim the batting an extra ¼”; hand sew the backing in place along the seam line at the back of the Points.

* * * *

And there you have it. My very first online tutorial. I often do quick workshops on this at retreats or craft days. Once you get the hang of it, it's quite easy.

Cheers,

Faye.