Pioneer Braid

Quilt 6

A Charm Quilt

Pioneer Braid

This quilt started as a memento of our week long workshop with Jackie Black way back in 1990.  Students exchanged strips of fabric and Jackie gave us a quick lesson on putting them together as a Pioneer Braid.

no two pieces the same

That small sample sat around for a long time until I decided to make a Charm Quilt, which means that all the pieces are from different fabrics, no two pieces the same.

And then those strips sat in the UFO pile for many more years until I decided, 17 years later, to finish it and have it quilted. Better late than never.

This very versatile pattern, also known as Prairie Braid, is a very old pattern and it's perfect for using small scraps. The pieces I used were 2” x 4 ½”. They can be longer and skinnier or wider.

There are no rules as to how to assemble the pieces together, a quick look online will show you many different ways.

I chose to put mine together with dark values on one side and light or medium on the other.

Dark and light values

Once the strips are made up as long as you wish your quilt to be, you can sew them together as I did with all the lights on one side and all the darks on the other.

Again there are many choices in how the strips are set. Sashing or pieced borders can divide the strips or the strips themselves could be used as borders .

back and label

Documentation

Quilt Name:  Pioneer Braid

Description:  A charm quilt. Strips are made up of small pieces sewn together to look like a braid.  All pieces are different.

Pattern:  Pioneer Braid or Prairie Braid

Size:  50” x 63 ½”

Fabrics:  100% cotton and some polyester

Predominant colours:  every colour under the rainbow

Construction Techniques:  pieced

Back:  bleached muslin

Batting:  Hobbs 80/20

Edge finish:  Double fold french binding in muslin

Quilting:  Spiral pattern quilted on long arm machine 

Quilted by:  Marnie Mascioli from Calico Cat Quilting

Sleeve:  no

Label:  yes

Date completed:  2007

Inspiration:  Old fashioned charm quilts

Appraised:  no

Quilt History:  Started as a memento in a Jackie Black's workshop back in 1990.

Students exchanged strips of fabric and Jackie gave us a quick lesson on putting them together as a Pioneer Braid.

Maker:  Terry Whyte