I have no idea how to finish this, any help would be appreciated
 

Hi. A lady I know sent me this and asked if I could finish it in some fashion. She doesn't know anything about quilting. and wasn't sure if it was a wall hanging or pillow and I am not that sure either. It was her grandma's, and the lady cherishes it of course but I am a little stumped because both sides are not even and while I know there are prairie points, I am not sure how to finish it without cutting into the border and of course I would never find that yellow. It was hand quilted. I said I would try. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Do you think I could make a strip of maybe three inches of some yellow fabric and sandwich in a row of prairie points and then somehow attach it? I am afraid of messing it up.

Thank you very much.

I would take it to a fabric store and try to find something that would look good with the center and use that to remake the Prairie points and then turn it into a pillow if its big enough. I see ties, perhaps it was meant as a small wall hanging that was hung by ties vs a rod pocket? You’re very kind to help her.

It looks like it was cut from a longer piece. With the ties I would guess it was a seat or bench cover. Hope you can find a yellow that would work well with it. If not, would it be too hard to remove the points on the left and make new ones for left and right to coordinate?

i can't tell what the quilting looks like on the right. the three finished sides looks to have small hearts, but the unfinished side looks like incomplete quilting (not as in unfinished, but as in some of it is missing)? could it have originally been only one block, maybe attached to another block that had it's own prairie points that connected in with these? That doesn't help you in the attempt to get ideas to finish it, but it is puzzling to me

Whatever you do, you are going to change what it currently looks like. I agree with cjsews that it looks like it is cut from a longer piece and because of the ties probably a seat cover. It looks quite warped. You could make it into a wall hanging by adding a whole new border and binding. I'd be tempted to use a rotary cutter and slice off the prairie points using the quilt edge to work from. But only after I had a solid plan of what to do next. I would be afraid that picking them out could harm the lovely hand-quilted hearts. Alternately, you could make it look like a "book" by finishing the cut edge to look like a book binding rather than trying to match. You could square it up with a border sewn under the prairie points - you'd have to top-stitch it in the ditch around the three edges.
Does your friend have some idea of what they would like it to be or look like?

It seems like three sides more or less match - and then the fourth side looks like it was just cut off something.

From a distance, I did not notice the heart quilting in the borders. My first thought was to square up the block as well as one could - cut off the prairie points - maybe find a pillow insert that would fit - and use a solid color from Sue to bind it with - that would require making a back for the pillow insert - but I think any compatible color would work for that.

Whatever you choose to do, run your idea(s) by your friend/acquaintance before doing anything. You might also mention the "challenges" that you see and ask her what she thinks you should/might do with them.

In my opinion, after looking it over, you may decide to pass on the project and perhaps give her the name of someone else that might be interested in working on it.

Are you doing this as "a favor" or was your acquaintance planning to pay for your efforts?

Hi...thanks to everyone for your thoughts. It is true that the points are what is challenging because of the right side being shorter and to find that yellow would be kind of impossible. Even putting points on the other side.... which I am not an expert on fitting things in like that....would make it uneven. And yes, the quilting on the left side is different and it looks like the piece was cut from something longer.

I am doing it as a favor not getting paid which is fine as I would like to help her. I will email her and ask for her thoughts as some of you had mentioned.

Again, thanks, you have given me some clearer ideas. I like the pillow idea.

I wouldn't touch anything that is there. I would go to the quilt store and find a similar yellow. Make prairie points to complete the torn side and give it back. Simple and complete.

Can you use the fabric from the ties to make more prairie points? You might even be able to face them with a muslin to so that that you can make more points with the limited fabric. It has been years since I made prairie points, but I recall they are folded a number of times, so a lot of the pretty fabric is wasted on the inside.

Another option already suggested might be to remove the prairie points from the left side and then match the points on the left with new ones on the right (or alternate the yellow ones you have with white on both left and right). If you do this, you may be able to trim the left border so that it is the same size as the right border without disturbing the quilting on the left.

I agree that the right side appears to have been cut off. You will probably need to remove the quilting in that border in order to add the points. After adding the points, you could hand quilt hearts to match the other borders.

Lots of hand work will be needed. You are a good friend.

You could carefully remove the prairie points and spread them evenly around the whole top, then if there is no backing, you could face it to finish the edges. It could be a poly cotton, might make it easier to match colours.

umm...could you leave it as it is.... but on the right side add a simple border with some hand embroidery on it? Maybe something like "given to me by my grandma." You could hand embroidery a few hearts on it too?

If you want to see how the points would look spread out, this youtube shows it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rsGEwrkITE

First of all I would not change anything that is there. No matter what you do, both sides will be different. A wall hanging would be the most logical to use the hanging strips. I would choose a color to match. It could be the orange or the brown (I prefer brown) and make a ruffle and attach it on the cut side. I think the asymmetric look would be charming.

As Toverly said, I too wouldn't cut anything. I would ask her what she would like to happen with her grandmother's heirloom. I think I would hand stitch it to a background fabric and quilt little hearts to attach it to the backing. Bada bing a wall hanging:)

Certainly her tiny quilt is a treasure! I love that you are happily helping her!

If I had the challenge in hand, I would first do some careful measuring to see if the ties are long enough to create additional prairie points. If not I would carefully remove the prairie points and remake them in unbleached muslin. It would fit with the color scheme. I agree that it appears to be part of a whole not an individual piece itself. And as others have suggested turn the piece into a pillow/pillow cover that can be displayed with loving pride.

Can you remove the ties, give them a good pressing and use them to cut prairie points to put on the blank side. Then remake ties from another fabric that blends with the Sunbonnet Sue?

Please don't cut off the prairie points if you want to keep the memory for your friend. Maybe cut off the ties. A quilt doesn't have to be perfectly square to be useful. Find a fabric that coordinates with the brown and use it for a backing and stitch a strip of that fabric over the raw edges of the yellow top.
Here are a couple of ideas:
If you want to make a pillow cover, stitch the unsewn edge into the right hand seam of the pillow cover and hand/machine stitch the other edges of the yellow piece onto the top of the pillow cover.
Stitch the yellow piece to the background of brown and add a strip of the background fabric to cover the unsewn edge, leaving enough background all around to make a pillow cover, turn it into a wall hanging or stretch over a frame. In all cases, let the girl and the prairie points shine.

a similar or darker yellow shade would look fine. you may have to start above the left bottom corner, looks like it needs redoing there and then add darker to bottom and right side. It is nice of you to do this for her and i'm sure she will appreciate your efforts.

You could suggest to your friend that she could frame it to preserve it as is. She could loom at it every day.