More About Rendezvous

Gosh, thank you all for your kind comments about Rendezvous, my pineapple block quilt.  My last post showing this finish resulted in lots of questions about how I constructed this quilt.  I'll try to answer those here but you may also want to go back and read my post on using the pineapple ruler.

For fabric, I started with a fat quarter bundle (Rouenneries Deux by French General for Moda).  Some of the prints were too large or otherwise unsuitable; I used 30 from the bundle and added more from my stash plus a few new purchases. 

 

My quilt is 68" square (49 blocks, arranged 7 by 7).  For this size, I estimate you need:

• 18 fat quarters of red
• 15 fat quarters of lights
• 9-11 fat quarters of taupe for the blocks that make the outer edges
• a half yard of red for the center squares
• 3/4 yard for binding

I say "estimate" because I was not keeping track of fabric usage at the time of construction.  I pulled some fabric from my stash and ordered some online in half yard cuts.  I have about half of each half yard piece left but only small strips from the fat quarters. 

 

You construct the pineapple block in rounds, starting with the center square (similar to making a log cabin block).  The size of the block depends on the width of your strips and how many "rounds" you have.  I cut my strips 1.5 inches wide (1" finished) and my center blocks 2.5 inches square (2" finished).  My blocks are 10" square. 

The distinctive design is formed as you put the blocks together.  The red square is the center of each block while the last pieces are the red triangles in each corner.  (For contruction, the corners are cut as strips than trimmed after sewing.)  I constructed one block as a test, then chain pieced 4 to 6 at a time thereafter. 

 

I got the idea for the taupe border from a photo I saw on Pinterest.  From analyzing the photo, I realized the border was formed by different color placement in the blocks forming the outer edge.  I had the center red blocks on the design wall and pieced the outer blocks two at a time, basically just visualizing where the red needed to go and where to put the taupe strips.  Once you have the first round of color strips on the block, it is easy to follow with the rest of the rounds.

I made 49 blocks and put them together in a square, 7 blocks by 7 blocks.  Just add or subtract blocks for a larger or smaller quilt.  You can make your blocks larger than mine by adding more rounds of strips to each block.  Nicole at Sister's Choice is working on pineapple quilt using 12" blocks, achieved by one additional round of strips.  And you can put the blocks in a rectangular setting if you prefer.

Making the blocks is not difficult but you do have to be careful.  Each time you trim, you get a bias edge and the blocks can become distorted or mis-sized if you pull on the bias edges too much, something that can happen unintentionally when you iron.  (Lift the iron and press, rather than moving it around on the fabric.)

I hope this has been helpful.  I look foward to seeing many more pineapple quilts out in Blogland!