These are my four large blocks (10-1/2″ square). Looking good for a first-timer!
These are my three smaller ones (8-1/2″ square). It took me 4.5 hours to make these seven blocks because I was a newbie to them, as well as it was my first time using the Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool. I love this tool!
First I organized the fabric pieces. Fat Quarter Shop patterns calls each piece a ‘fabric’, even if the different pieces come from the same fabric. This month I got smarter and labeled them (why did I not think about this before???).
The tool comes with instructions but I only followed the steps from the Block 3 pattern – they worked like a charm. You stitch the rectangles to the center square, press them, and trim them.
I will use this Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool to build other blocks, so I will take some time to play around with it. The centers for my blocks turned out perfectly.
I chained-stitched the blocks at every step. The process of stitching, pressing, and trimming reminded me of foundation piecing. Repeating steps of a process can be very soothing to me, particularly in times of stress.
When asked how I decide which project to work on, I respond that sometimes stress plays a role on my decisions. When too stressed I pick projects with more steps: machine applique’, for instance, requires me to trace a shape onto the fusible web, cut, fuse it to fabric, cut, iron it to the background fabric, and machine applique’ it. All along I am focused on what I am doing as the worries are fused and stitched away. Such was my experience while stitching these blocks – I was totally present and much more relaxed in the end.
It would be wonderful if you decided to join us for this sew along. By November, we will have all the blocks needed to make this sampler quilt. I am sure we will end up with beautiful variations of the same pattern. Download the free patterns from the Jolly Jabber, Fat Quarter Shop’s blog, and get going. I am headed there right now to check out the blocks made by the participating bloggers as it is so cool to see the same blocks with other color combinations.
Have a great day,
