{sigh!} Isn't she stunning? I consider the Pineapple block to be one of the elite quilt blocks, kinda like that popular girl in high school. Its elegant, its complicated, its takes your breath away and its a stand out block in any quilt design.
The Pineapple block has long been recognised as a symbol of hospitality, and it has always been a popular motif for textile arts and décor - it seems to have made a big resurgence lately in home decorating. Its a complicated version of a Log Cabin block and its angles represent the chunky leaves of the pineapple and the pineapple itself.
There are so many stunning Pineapple quilts, and the look varies depending on how many strips are used to construct the block. I chose a Diamond Pineapple block which has four strips plus the narrow strip framing the diamond in a square centre. How cute is that little framing strip? I thought it added something extra to this already stunning quilt block, and I love the effect it creates in this design.
There's good and not so good news about this mini quilt, so lets start with the not so good news shall we. Penelope consists of nine 6" blocks with a total of 441 pieces - I know, insane right? Each block takes around two hours to construct (depending on distractions, coffee breaks etc.) but the good news is...its all paper pieced!
Even though it looks complicated, it's easy to construct as long as you follow the order of the numbered templates and you're prepared to take your time to bring this beauty together. It also helps if you precut a stash of strips before you start piecing - I've included tips for this in the pattern to help you out. I have so much faith in you, my creative peeps... no matter how hard it looks, you CAN sew this mini quilt!
I used some white homespun and five Bonnie and Camille prints for my Penelope quilt but the pineapple block is perfect for scrappy piecing so I've included a colouring sheet in the pattern so you can play around with different combinations. Alternating light and dark fabrics is what gives this block its stunning visual effect but think about including some low volume fabrics in the light sides to add some warmth and create a little more interest.
I love this fabric combination because it gives me the Christmas vibes so its another quilt I can use during the festive season or Christmas in July which is quite popular here in Australia.
Penelope finishes at around 18" square so she is quite a large mini, and perfect to use as a table topper or in the centre of your dining table under a fruit bowl or vase of flowers etc.
There are a lot of seams and the mini quilt top is quite heavy so I quilted mine with 1/2" spaced serpentine quilting and I think it was just enough - dense quilting would not have worked with this design. I bound my mini with that gorgeous green polka dot binding and I was a little unsure of it at first but it has grown on me - its fun to try things out of your comfort zone every now and then.
There is a lot of work in this Penelope mini quilt but I think you'll agree that its definitely worth it. Its such a stunning quilt and you're going to feel so proud of yourself once its all finished and you can show it off in your home. I'm cheering from the sidelines guys, you got this!
The PDF pattern includes step by step instructions and diagrams plus a full sized FPP block template to make piecing your quilt easy. There's also additional instructions for adding a hanging sleeve or corner hangers so you can include this quilt on your mini wall.
If you would like to make your own Penelope mini quilt, from today until the end of June 2019 PDF patterns are available at the introductory price of $4.95 (AU) in both of my shops. Simply select the option below that suits you best and click on the appropriate link to purchase your own copy.
I'm so thrilled to have Penelope join my pattern family, and I hope you love her too. Make sure you use the hashtag #penelopeminiquilt so we can all find your versions of this gorgeous design or send me a photo - I love to see what your making with my patterns. Have fun guys!
Happy quilting :)
That is adorable, gorgeous and stunning. I've never been "into" minis, but Penelope might sway me.
ReplyDeleteThat's great Debra, she is a stunner. Don't forget that minis can be used for full sized quilts by making multiples and adding some sashing, cornerstones etc. I love playing around with different layouts, the possibilities are endless :)
Delete