Blocks don't match on Pineapple quilt
 

I have made 30 blocks using the Creative Grid Pineapple ruler and all of the blocks were so carefully measured to 10 1/2" unfinished squares. I went to sew them together yesterday and the points do not match up. Has anyone made blocks with this ruler and found that they are off just a bit? Any comment or support ideas would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking this will be a utility quilt. Loved making the blocks and was so excited to put them all together and was so disappointed when things didn't match.:(

Can you post a picture?
I hate to say it, but sometimes rulers can be off just a tiny bit, and it will end up causing quilters headaches. I never thought to look carefully at the markings and corners until one day, I was doodling with pen and paper and a quilting ruler. I was drawing radiating squares and after 8 or 9 rounds, realized that they were not all even. Took a closer look at the ruler and discovered that the very first 1/8" line was either printed wrong, or the ruler was out of square by what would be only 2 or 3 thread widths. But to a quilter, 2 or 3 thread widths can throw everything off eventually. Quality control either didn't notice, or didn't think it was enough to bother with. I took the ruler back to the store I'd purchased it from and looked at all the other rulers that were identical - every single one of them was off. Very disappointing.

I don't know how to post a picture. Will have to wait until by granddaughter comes by the house and she will help. Believe you me I would love to know how to post a picture as I have a lot of quilts I would like to share a picture of with everyone here.

I encountered the same issue with the block, and I used my Accuquilt to cut out each block, placed on appropriate grain line, all the fabrics were carefully starched, seams were pressed, and my seams were spot on. At the end of the day the blocks didn’t match and I was disappointed in the outcome. Personally, I think no matter what method you use, I think it’s the nature of the block and not so much the person making it. I will make it again, but I intend to make a totally scrappy one to blend the joining if the blocks. Perhaps a paper piecing is more accurate, but have not tried that method yet. I say be more forgiving of yourself as I really do think it’s the nature of the block!

Looks great Lisa! That is a challenging block.

I have made a paper-pieced pineapple and for the most part, the points matched beautifully. That's the main reason I love paper-piecing, you get very accurate results. I think it helps that the 3 or 4 spots that don't match perfectly are hidden by the busy prints I used. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/biggrin.png

Peckish your quilt is beautiful. Looks like PP is the way to go for that pattern, looks perfect.

I have made several Pineapple quilts using paper piecing and been happy with them. I'm now waiting on my order from It's Sew Emma for the 12" paper piecing to start a new quilt.

Tallchick-love your quilt and thank you for the encouraging words. I did the same as you as far as my seams sewn so carefully and starched my blocks and pressed so carefully too. When I put the first two blocks together and they didn't exactly match I just left the sewing room and hoped that things would look better the next day. I was wondering if maybe a 1" finished sashing put between each block would look ok? What do you think? Maybe this would take away from the pattern that the Pineapple block is supposed to look like. I guess if anyone rides by on a galloping horse the mismatching will not be seen. :). What to do??!!!

Peckish- your scrappy Pineapple quilt is so pretty. I love scrappy quilts so much. Thinking seriously about getting the paper piecing pattern. I think Fat Quarter Shop sells that but don't know if they have the Pineapple pattern.

I think the pattern is busy enough that most of us never see any problem at all, whether it is a two color or multicolor.

The non-quilter especially is looking at the overall and not the particulars.

I think what happens with these is that yes, we square stuff up but each time it's just off a hair, a thread, and it all skews a bit. That would be the advantage with the paper piecing with maybe a stiffer paper than ideal.

So, if you've done the final trim and all the blocks finish to the same size, I'd just stack them up and put them together instead of sashing -- unless you can think of a cool way to reconnect those sashed blocks via the quilting (because my mind just doesn't go there).

I say (because it's true) that I find it somehow comforting that I never have to deliberately put in a mistake to my quilts to keep myself humble. Even the simplest, easiest thing ever -- there is something in there I'm not happy with.

What's our saying around here -- Finished is better than perfect? And then my other saying is I always have next time to achieve perfection. Still working on that...

Iceblossom-thank you too for your encouraging words and I put a small piece of fabric on the design wall between the blocks and it just cuts of the idea of the whole pattern concept. I seem to be a bit of a perfectionist and I don't like it at all. Thanks for the advice of just sewing the blocks together and don't worry about the finished product. Yes---I agree--finished is better than perfect.

Thank you! The pattern I used, if you wanted the same one, is by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, and is called "Hawaiian Delight". However, it's not a 12" block, it finishes at 8". If you can't find that pattern, she's reissued it with a blue theme and is called "Blue Hawaiian Delight".

The one I made I used a colored sharpie to make the blocks match up. The block was scrappy so no one ever knew. Not even the quilter and as she is a lifelong friend would have said something along the line of what did you do.

Thank you Peckish for the pattern information. I will have to check it out.

I have 43 blocks made so far. I’m going to use 1” finished sashing with cornerstones. Mine is scrappy. I’m using the ruler, not paper piecing. Can’t wait to see it finished, although I’m really enjoying the process. I’m doing a form of chain piecing my blocks so do 10-12 at a time. It takes awhile but when I’m done with them it really adds to my stack fast! :-)

This is the kind of pineapple quilt I want to make - love the fabrics! I have enough of the Lynn Graves foundation paper to make a king sized quilt and I've cut a huge bag of strips for it, already. Someday.

In the meantime, I bought this Creative Grids pineapple ruler and I should have watched more than one YouTube video before buying it.

After I placed the order, I watched several more and learned that first, the strips have to be 1¾" wide, not 1½" like with the foundation paper - and there is so much fabric wasted with this ruler! Watching these quilters whack off 30-40% of the fabric they've just sewn on every round is shocking!

I'm probably going to send it back when it gets here and go with my original plan.

I have a big bin full of specialty rulers still in their packages - some are at least 12 years old. :(

Remember fabric is fluid and will move as the machine foot acts like plough when sewing through it. Unless stabilized as with paper piecing the fabrics will always have variation especially the more seams sewn.

Watching these quilters whack off 30-40% of the fabric they've just sewn on every round is shocking!


Its sometimes worth the loss when you want a precise finish block with less fuss. Every now and then I like to make a quilt using the easiest way to get a complicated block. Its fun to have fabric scraps from a quilt so I guess it is all about outlook.

Well, that makes sense.

I think that the closer hubby gets to retirement and Social Security, the more "conservationist" I get when it comes to fabric. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/biggrin.png

Can you put a narrow sashing between the blocks?

I have 29 blocks finished as of this morning for my Pineapple Quilt using my Accuquilt system. I know that some of my blocks are going to be off even though they all measure a nice 10 1/2". I will be making it a bit larger I want it to be 42 blocks so it will be 60x70 at least plus a border. I want a full size quilt. So I have a ways to go. I don't expect it to be perfect because of the nature of the beast and this thread just affirms what I thought. Just a smidgen off.

I like the idea of a sashing between each block. Will make your quilt a bit bigger, will make each block stand out and cheer.

Jordan, i have not made that block and I am sorry you are having bad time with it . I guess I will not buy that one from Accuquilt.

I made a pineapple quilt with the creative grid ruler. It’s been awhile. Seems like it was 36 blocks. 6 down and 6 over. It’s a good sized quilt so the blocks were probably 12”. I would trim the bigger blocks and add a strip if it’s too small. That’s kind of how I quilt. You would have to look really close on the finished quilt to see any mistakes.

Strip Apple Pineapple by Cozy Quilt Designs
 

https://jordanfabrics.com/collection...gital-download

My daughter is a new quilter and has picked this pattern for us to make together. I’ve never done a pineapple quilt because the waste bothers me, but this one uses big pieces so the cut offs are big enough to do something with. Donna Jordan made 3 throw pillows with her cut offs. And the sashing means no matching points.👍🏻

I have only made 1 pineapple quilt, using the free pattern from Quilt in a Day, and it turned out wonderfully! QIAD free Pinapple Quilt Pattern https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Jordan, if you spray the blocks and steam the beejeebers out of them, can you make them uniform? And get your points where you need them to be with rigourous pinning before sewing?

My first quilting teacher found this same issue with log cabin quilts...she was very meticulous, but no matter how carefully she cut and sewed they were always just that little bit off and in blocks like these with may pieces, tiny shifts add up to big issues. She went to paper piecing her log cabins as a result, and I think that is the best way to tackle pineapple blocks as well.

I loved the Creative Grid pineapple tool and the quilt I made with it. Since the blocks are squared up with the ruler after every round (I am a notorupiously inaccurate seamer) I can’t quite picture how that happened with the points not matching.