5 simple steps to add prairie points to your quilt

Yesterday on QUILTsocial I used a pressing sheet to assemble our horse head applique. Today I’m piecing the Equestrian Beauty Wallhanging using the Wild and Free fabrics from Northcott and then fuse the applique onto the background fabric. Let’s do it!

Cutting the fabrics

Trim the background fabric to 19″ x 24″.

From the dark brown inner border fabric, cut three strips 1½” x width of fabric. From these cut two strips 1½” x 24″ and two strips 1½” x 21″.

Sew the 1½” x 24″ strips to the two sides of the background. Press.

Sew the 1½” x 21″ strips to the top and bottom of the background. Press.

Prairie Points

To add some dimension to the wallhanging I’m putting prairie points in between the inner border and outer border. Prairie points can be placed all the way around the quilt or use a few on each border as I’ve done in this wallhanging.

Step 1 – cut and fold

From the beige horse-shoe fabric, cut 12 squares 4½” (1). As shown below, fold each square in half to make a large triangle (2) and press. Fold each of those triangles in half again to make a small triangle (3). Press.

Step 2 – baste

Next, baste the raw edge of the folded prairie points with a narrow ⅛” seam.

Step 3 – place and pin

The first Wild and Free prairie point is pinned to the inner border starting 2½” from the left end of the border.

Two more prairie points are placed on this border, overlapping each by 2″. Try to make sure that the open edge of all three prairie points is pointing the same direction.

Step 4 – baste in place

Next, the prairie points are basted to the inner border using a ⅛” seam.

Step 5 – add the 4″ border

• Add the outer border.
• Cut the brown hats and boots Wild and Free fabric into four 4″ x WOF (width of fabric) strips.

• Measure the length of the quilt and cut two borders this exact measurement.
• Sew one of these borders to each side of the quilt.
• Press the seams and the prairie points towards the outer border.

Add the applique

• Peel the horse head applique from the pressing sheet. It should peel away from the sheet as one complete applique shape.

• Center the horse applique on the background fabric and move around and place as desired.
• Press it into place to finish the quilt top made with the Wild and Free fabric from Northcott.

Now it just needs to be stitched!! If you like, you can use a blanket stitch, either by hand or by machine, to stitch down all of the raw edges of the applique. I’ll finish it by thread painting and quilting it, at the same time. Join me in December as I walk you through this.

Whatever way you choose to finish, it’s going to look great. As one last finishing touch, you can add a dark brown button onto the center of each prairie point!!

Thanks for joining me this week. I really loved designing this wallhanging and I’m really pleased by how the Northcott Wild and Free fabrics gave my horse applique such a great equestrian feel! Look for these fabrics at your local quilt shop and try making your own version.

I’ll see you next month on QUILTsocial!