Pineapple Trim Tool

What a tremendously fun day I had Saturday at Sager Creek Quilts and Yarnworks in Siloam Springs! Thank you again, Pam and Cliff Goggins.

 

As a full-time teacher, I don't get to take very many quilt classes - maybe one or two a year. I'm only available on Saturdays, and I like to spend those with my husband. So when this Saturday Pineapple Block class came along using a new easy-to-use Pineapple Trim Tool by Creative Grids, I had to think long and hard about it. Hmmm, do I want to give up one of my precious Saturdays for a quilting class? Who am I kidding? Yes!!! Get outta my way!

 

As it turns out, I am so happy I took this class. This block is traditionally pieced using paper piecing, but I refuse to paper piece (blah!), but this version does away with the paper and just uses a trimming ruler. The block looks like this (the blue blocks - ignore the quilt top backdrop). These gorgeous blue and cream blocks were made by a very good friend of mine. Aren't they great?

 

 

Well, here is how my project has progressed. Last week I showed you the sorting and selecting portion of the project - supurrvised by my able assistant Callie.

 

After I selected my border fabric (the fabric at the top of the photo below), I pulled the appropriate fabrics out from under my napping fabric guard and began to cut. I cut many strips at 1 5/8" and some at 2 1/2' (for the corners). I still didn't have the light background fabric that I needed. And, as it turns out, I didn't cut nearly as many strips as I needed to even get a good start. This pattern requires a lot of strips of a lot of different fabrics cut into a lot of different lengths to provide a good selection for each block.

 

One quick trip to Sager Creek on Friday for a light background fabric and I had everything I needed. All of my light background pieces are a pale green that matches the pale green in my border fabric. The dark fabrics are a selection of about two dozen fabrics. The next day, surrounded by my far more talented friends, I began to sew. And sew. These little blocks come together surprising quickly, but boy do they seem to take a lot of fabric!

  

Here are four completed blocks (simply laid side-by-side, not sewn) next to the border fabric. It has promise. I have completed several more blocks this week, but since I need about 80 total blocks, I see myself sewing for quite a few more evenings. It's a good thing this is so easy to do. We used Creative Grids' Pineapple Trim Tool. It lets one make a 6", 8", or 10" block. With its trim-as-you-go technique, each block come out perfectly. I LOVE THIS TOOL! Mom and I were going to share one since my class was last weekend and hers is this Friday, but I decided that I don't want to share. I don't want us both wanting to use the tool at the same time, so I bought Mom her own. Hands off my new ruler, Mom!

 

Maybe by next week I'll be able to show you the finished quilt top (ha, ha). I doubt it, but I can always hope. : )

 

Later,

Deb