Betty Ford Smith keeps the legacy of Pine Cone quilts alive. After interviewing her for Create Whimsy I became fascinated with Pine Cone Quilts, also referred to as a Pine Burr Quilt or pinecone patchwork. It is an art form that Betty makes the traditional way, all by hand. It takes her three to five months to make a king size quilt. Read our interview with Betty to learn more about how she learned this quilting technique. Betty shares the tradition of pinecone quilt’s rich history.
I wanted to see if I could figure out an easier (and quicker) method to make a pine cone quilt and this is the result of my quest. Try it!
This is a perfect scrap-busting and stash-busting quilt pattern! Perfect for beginner quilters and challenging enough for experienced quilters! It is a great project when you are looking for something a bit meditative. You just make prairie points and sew them in concentric circles.
How to Make a Pine Cone Quilt
Learn how to make a pine cone quilt using prairie points. With this tutorial, we'll use our sewing machine which makes it faster and easier than the traditional method of hand stitching.
Here are detailed instructions to make a pine cone quilt with a sewing machine.
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Materials
- Scraps of fabric to make at least 200 3-1/2 inch squares for the prairie points
- Neutral thread, I used grey
Tools
- Iron
- Pressing surface
- Sewing machine
- Quilters ruler
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mat
Instructions
- Start by determining the size of the quilt you'd like to make. I choose a 15-inch finished piece. I cut a piece of base fabric 18-inch square.
Press the fabric in half and half again so that you have a center point.
- Select fabrics for your quilt. I started with small scraps and then started searching for bigger scraps as my quilt got larger. Make a pile of prairie points. I started with 3-1/2 inch squares of fabric and made a small pile. Then I made the prairie as I worked on the quilt, selecting the next fabric as I was ready. Read our article on how to make prairie points.
- Start with four prairie points for your center. Place them so that the centers all match at the center point on your base fabric. Pin them in place. You don't want any of your base fabric to show through.
- Stitch around the center triangles with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, removing the pins as you sew.
- Here I'm finishing sewing down the center prairie points.
- Now the fun begins! Pick your next fabric and place around the center making sure that the points cover the stitching line from sewing down the center prairie points.
- I thought the turquoise would look nice against the lovely peachy orange color.
- I found that for sewing the rows around I didn't need to pin. I do have a flat surface for my sewing machine. I lay out the prairie points and they stay in place while I sew.
- Here is the first round of prarie points all sewn to the center. I try to stay close to a 1/4-inch seam allowance, but it's not always possible. I just make sure that I'm securing each prairie point to the base fabric and cover the stitching from the prior round.
- Now it's time to pick the next fabric!
- As the piece grows, you want to make sure it stays circular. I would measure from the center out as I laid out each round to make sure that the piece wasn't getting oval.
- Keep adding prairie points round and round!
- When you get close to your finished size it is time to fill in the corners. I started by using some of my left over prairie points of fabrics I used in making the pine cone.
- Then, I completed the corners using the fabric I selected for the binding so that the center color and texture would pop.
- Here is the finished pine cone quilt! It was super fun to make and I love that I was able to use so many scraps and pieces left from other projects.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Panasonic 360º Freestyle Advanced Ceramic Cordless Iron, Pest Repeller v.57, Teal -
OHOCO Wool Pressing Mat for Quilting - 17" x 24" Extra Large Felt Ironing Pad 1/2" Thick, 100% New Zealand Wool for Ironing, Sewing, Cutting on Ironing Board, Tabletop, Dryer, Countertop -
OLFA 24" x 36" Double-Sided, Self-Healing Rotary Mat -
Omnigrid Non-Slip quilter's Ruler, 6" x 24", Neon Green -
KAI 28 mm Rotary Cutter, Other
I highly recommend Betty’s book on Pinecone Quilting. She delves into the rich history of the pinecone quilt and has images of many historical quilts. I’m quite drawn to some of the pieces that were put together with fabric scraps. Betty’s king size quilts can weight over 25 pounds!
There is a lot of fabric used in this technique. My small 15-inch piece weighs over one-half pound!
Helpful tips for making a pine cone quilt
- Measure each row as you lay it out from the center. This will keep your pine cone circular.
- Make your prairie points as you go. This allows you to pick the next fabric and make close to the number of triangles you’ll need. Generally I would add one or two triangles more for each row. Also, doing it this way allows you take a break after each row to make more prairie points.
- Use a variety of colors and prints. I really like the way the big prints add texture and movement to the piece, while the solids give a place for your eye to rest a bit.
- This is a great project for left over prairie points, if you’ve used them in another project. Try for a scrappy look, if you have a lot of left overs. For more fabric selection ideas, check out our interview with Betty Ford Smith.
Rachaeldaisy Dodd uses the pine cone method to make some of her bright and colorful quilts, too.
Try your own pine cone quilt for your next project. A smaller piece is perfect for home decor projects.
Browse through more free quilt patterns on Create Whimsy.
