Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Pineapple scraps, ruler, and siblings

I had a bunch of leftover strips on my sewing desk and also have been hankering to play with my seldom-used Creative Grids Pineapple ruler, so I made this.  It was going FAST!  It came with instructions, (still unread) and there are also several You Tube videos making the block construction  fast, easy and mistake-proof.  Too bad I didn't notice the errors until too late. There is some flipping back and forth, and a person needs to actually READ and understand.  Really?  LOL

OK, effort #2, below.  I unsewed back to the row with the blue/gold checks, and this time was more careful.  The ruler helps with efficiency and keeps it square and true.  I didn't like flipping it back and forth, rechecking each time before cutting, but with practice it would be fool proof and easier.

The strips finish at 1 inch, and the ruler is made  only for one inch finished strips.
Here is the Creative Grids ruler.  It was a little pricey, but these days, many are. 

However, I have found another lady, Gyleen Fitzgerald, who made a lovely pineapple DVD, available from Annies Crafts, or Annies Catalog.  I always enjoy my sewing/quilting DVDs.  She has her own version of a pineapple ruler.   There was also another ruler available from Annies for a higher cost.   

What a great scrap quilt!  If you have not made a Pineapple Quilt, and don't want to use paper piecing, I would strongly suggest a good pineapple ruler to keep it all square and true.  Gyleen also has several other books and DVDs.  She has an appealing soft and gentle easy-going way of speaking and sewing.



Family stuff - Lastly, below is a photo of my siblings taken in October when I enjoyed a delicious drive from western Nebraska, across Iowa, up to Wisconsin.  (Almost 2500 miles by the time I returned home!  Pretty good for this old gal!).  My brothers are both retired Engineers, my OLDER sister is still beautiful!  I had just broken my tooth - note food still in hand.  Notice array of pens in brother on left.  LOL   We all live far from each other, and the fact that we could get together, was an amazing miracle. 

We were blessed with this loveliness recently - no wind, not cold, and we didn't even have to shovel.  8-)))

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy and safe Holidays.


3 comments:

  1. No wind, not cold and no shoveling! That would be my kind of snow! :-)
    How wonderful you could get together with your sibs. 2500 miles is a lotta miles to drive. But worth it, right?
    I thought your asymmetric pineapple was designed that way. Of course, my "how does it work" mind set began taking it apart to see what you did to make it that way. I can see how a specific ruler would be a big help.
    Blessed Christmas to you and yours!

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  2. The second one really looks good! Yes, reading the directions does help. I am always telling DH that. Then, sometimes I don't follow my own advice and just skim over the directions, missing the important points. I wish my siblings and I could all get together. We are 4 also, with 2 boys and 2 girls. And live far apart, with us being in Oregon and one brother in Florida. The other 2 stayed at or near home in Illinois. My sis and I are close, but we don't see the brothers very often, especially the one in Florida. We aren't getting any younger, either.

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  3. Merry Christmas to you too. Love the picture of you and your siblings. Wish I had siblings. Love your macramé tree. I have a macramé frog which holds a bar of soap and a hand towel!

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