help with pineapple quilt

[Jean Stielau]

I have been PPPing and now think I'm ready to attack my pineapple quilt top but have no idea what to do. I have it loaded on the frame and we just stare at each other. I'd appreciate any ideas you have or any direction you can point me in. I'll try to attach a PIC. Thanks for the help.

[ffq-lar]

Hello Jean,

An overall is perfectly acceptable for this type of quilt. Like the log cabin from which this pattern is adapted, custom quilting is not necessarily the only way to go.

If you want to do a custom-ish design, the separate blocks can have the same design quilted on each one.

Usually there is an obvious diagonal and an obvious circular design with pineapple quilts.

To accent the diagonals, quilting a crosshatch through the corners and also the mid-point of the block sides may be enough stitching. To mix it up a bit, don't stitch a straight line--make it a squiggle stitch. This adds more interest, is easier to do, and also the squiggle line is immune from stress-breakage of the thread that can happen when there is stitching on the bias of the fabric.

If you want to accent the circular design, use a circle template to drop a circle that touches the block at the edge. Then stitch something like a medium fill inside. Nothing fancy unless you want to. It would be a great place on busy fabric to practice a loopy fill or swirls.

Another circle design would be to stitch a circle half the size of the block and use the fill in the outside area, traveling from one block to the next. You can leave the circle unquilted or put in a small motif.

Stop starin' girl and jump on in! You will be thrilled with the outcome, no matter what designs you decide on!

[Butterfly]

No more starin'. Just do it. You'll be fine. I have nothing to add to Linda's great ideas. Make sure you post a pic when you're done.

Jess