Monday, December 24, 2012

Pineapples!

I received a new toy in the mail today. It's the "Trash to Treasure Pineapple Quilt" book by Gyleen Fitzgerald as well as the Pineapple Tool that goes with the book. I first learned of Gyleen, her tool, and her followers at the International Quilt Festival in Houston in 2010. There was a table of ladies demonstrating the tool and displaying the quilt they had made using it. I ordered the book and ruler last week, but really didn't expect it before Christmas. Here is Gyleen's web site. And here is the block I made this evening:




Yes, it is a homely thing, I will be the first to admit it. I tried, I really did, to make it totally and completely random and scrappy, according to Gyleen's instructions. The lights and darks were placed in order, though, and the fabric in each round is either the same on all four sides, or similar. But - and here is the important part - the block is absolutely square. Homely though it is, an entire quilt of these blocks will be interesting, if nothing else. The plan is to start whittling down the large amount of fabric left over from the closet cleaning and reorganizing that I showed you here.

The fabrics are either pieces too small (less than 6" WOF), or ones that I don't like any longer. In accordance with Bonnie Hunter's plan, the strips are being cut into 3.5, 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5 inch strips. There is a huge amount of work left to get everything sorted and cut into strips. 15 minutes of cutting at a time seems doable. If you just get started, usually you can last much longer than 15 minutes. Little by little it will get done. The pineapple blocks use 2.5 inch squares in the center, and 1.5 inch strips for the rounds.

When inspiration fails to strike, there will always be the pineapple tool and a bag of strips at hand. Quilts from trash will be the result. If nothing else, the tops can be simply quilted and donated to a worthy cause.

4 comments:

  1. well done you, book arrived and block made all in the one day, like the design, does having the right tool makes it easier to get the shapes right, there seem to be so many templates on the market, being new to quilting I wonder what I need as opposed to what I want!!

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    1. If you are new to quilting, you probably won't need specialty rulers for a bit. My choices would be a 12.5 inch square ruler, a 6" X 24" ruler, and a 6" X 12" ruler. When or if you dabble in paper piecing or making smallish blocks (six inches or smaller), you will also probably want a 6" X 8" and 4" X 4" ruler. Having the smaller rulers makes cutting and trimming while you are piecing easier as you can do it in place and don't have to manipulate a big ruler at your sewing space. I like OmniGrid rulers, although it seems every quilter has their own preferences as to size and brand. They are readily available at most quilt stores and at Jo-Ann's.

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  2. Whew girl you are prolific! I try to sew 15-30 minutes each night after Punkin gets to sleep, I don't always make my goal but I get there often enough to keep me happy!

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  3. Oh ho, now the truth comes out. Not all your fabrics made it back into the closet! I thought it looked too co-ordinated!

    Pineapple blocks are very appealing. It will be fun to see how this project develops!

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