Sunday, February 27, 2022

Finished Pineapple Swirl

Quilted and bound.
Pineapple Swirl is finished.
I quilted diagonally where the blocks joined.
Since some of the stitching was not secure I stitched across each block from point to point.


The backing used up most of the border print.
I washed the quilt in cold water with color catchers.
My washer would not spin all the water out so I had to squeeze the quilt and let it drip
before putting it in the dryer.


The pink binding fabric bled uniformly on the front but I don't see it on the back.
I'm sharing it tomorrow at quilt guild.
Mostly pleased with how it turned out.


Next to quilt - Hey June! started in 2020 as a quilt along.
I made it bigger with the intention of making it into a sleeping bag.
As time passed I let go of that idea.

I pinned it on the floor because it was too big for the dining room table.
I used some poly batting that I found in my mom's sewing room as I was cleaning up and selling the house. She had so many projects unfinished. I guess that is why I want to finish one quilt before starting another.


Look for another finish soon.

Happy sewing!



 

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Doing my own pineapple setting triangles

Last week I shared my pineapple blocks from a workshop with Gyleen Fitzgerald.
The pattern called for straight set blocks but I wanted on point blocks.

The only options I could find online were not what my mind's eye saw.
I'm sharing this so I can remember for future pineapple blocks.
 I decided to use the pineapple chunks block with some changes.
The center is 3.5 inches.
I made half blocks instead of whole blocks cut in half.
This gave me a chance to use smaller strips and fewer triangles of my focus fabric.


For the smaller four corners I sewed strips of 10, 8, and 6 inches with a half triangle of focus fabric.
See below.


For the half block setting triangles I trimmed them like the chunk block.
Center block with three rows added on two sides.


I like to hand draw my ideas.
At first I thought I needed to make a whole block and cut it in half.
After drawing it I saw that making a half block fit better.


Below is one of the four corners after the first trim.


Below some triangles ready for a trim.


The focus triangles had to be trimmed for each round.
They were cut from 3.5 inch squares.
There is a way to cut them smaller but I was not in the mood for figuring it out.


This one is ready for another row.


Below is my first attempt at a side triangle. 
I made a regular block but added an extra row to get the correct size.
I'm leaving it in the quilt to remember my journey with this quilt.


See how the large square meets the inner square lines
for trimming the triangle point.


This trim is just like the first trim on the regular pineapple block.
Each time the side strips are added the corner is trimmed so the triangle has a place.


After sewing the corner triangles and pressing there is one last trim.


I used my 15 inch square with a diagonal line in the center to make the last cut.
It was 1/4 in below the center of the large square.
I saved the cut off centers and used 4 of them on the corner triangles.


Below the pineapples are finished.


Except for trimming the corners. ;-)


First border.


The focus fabric used in all the block centers is also the final border.
That is 5 inches by WOF. I was able to cut 4 strips from the piece.
I sewed all the strips together with a straight seam because I didn't want to lose any
length from the strips.

I sewed the sides first. There was only enough border fabric left for the bottom and top 
- but not the corners.
I had a 3.5 inch strip left, so I played with a couple of designs.


One corner block used the 3.5 inch square with two 2 inch strips.


The other used the 3.5 inch square with half square triangles.


I liked the first block. It was quicker to make and used a smaller strip of the pink fabric.

Next step - making a backing, finding batting, and machine quilting it.
The pink is going to be the binding.
See you in a week.






 

Sunday, February 6, 2022

Setting Pineapples on Point

I decided to set my pineapple blocks on point.
The book I'm using does not have on point as an option.
I can fill the outside triangles with solid pieces of fabric but I want to continue the pineapple look.


One option is to make half triangles.
I used my square grid to check the size needed.


Another option is to cut whole blocks in half.
I'm leaning towards that option.
The book has an alternate block called pineapple chunks.
I have made one but it is not quite big enough.
I'm going to add another round, then check if that will work.


Above is the 8.5 inch pineapple chunk block.
After I add one more round it should be 10 inches square.


This handy reference book helps me with every quilt I make.

There are charts for sizes of side triangles for on point blocks.
What I really wanted to see were options for making half pineapple blocks.
Maybe others will want to see my interpretation.


Come back next week for a finished top.