Potholders

Try googling "Overlapped Prairie Points" or just "Prairie Points":

Thank you all very much for the pointers. I will give this a try.

I did, and found a tantalizing reference to "shark's-tooth border". Further Googling, alas, turned up lots of fossils and daylilies and knitting patterns, and an advertisement for a video, but no definition of "shark's tooth" as a sewing term.

Is "shark's tooth" another name for prairie points?

Joy Beeson

Joy Beeson

Dear Joy,

The only reference for shark's tooth that I know is an intricate process used in antique white work for undergarments. A tuck was made on the garment. The smallest I've seen is 1/4 inch. The tuck was then cut every half inch (for a 1/4-inch tuck), and the raw edges were then tucked and whipped closed. I did this on a gown for my daughter using 1/2-inch tucks, and I thought I'd never get it finished in time (I did).

Teri

Similar, but not exactly the same. I found this definition and photo at Debbie Glenn's site:

"Shark's Teeth", a form of tuck manipulation, was popular in the 1800's. In this class students make a tucked fabric block, then clip and fold the tucks into triangles to create an elaborate design.

No, it looks similar but is sewn by using tucks and is often used in heirloom sewing. Prairie Points uses individual pieces of fabric which are manipulated to form the point, then assembled and sewn into place. Teri describes Shark's teeth well in her post.

That's right! Prairie points/shark's teeth look the same to me, at least. I think it was on a Martha Pullen show that I became acquainted with prairie points and for a while, I added them as borders just above the hem to many of DGD's dresses. They loved them. Emily

Dear Suzanne,

I experimented today, and found that I needed four pieces for the center, and eight pieces for the other two rows. I went to the website, and found that the trivel instructions used straight pieces instead of circles, which means that I can use my rotary cutter to cut them out. That will be a lot faster. Thanks for sharing the website with us.

Teri

Kate - thanks so much for the info about the Insulbright. I picked up two yards yesterday and almost have the first two potholders done; just have to sew a strip of binding along the edges.=20

This stuff is great!!

-Irene