Chocolate is always the answer - now what was the question? A glass of wine might help. Start on a less conspicuous section of the quilt and relax. You can take it slowly at first. And remember, your mother and sister know that you are a beginner they won't be expecting competition standard from you. Whatever you do will still be better than keeping it rolled up unable to see the light of day. Go for it girl!

Lois and Rita,
your quilting skills are light-years ahead of mine. I appreciate your suggestions and will do my best. I agree that less is more. I'm printing off your suggestions and then will play on a piece of paper with your ideas. I welcome any other suggestions.

The quilting part really scares me... I did a round robin with my mother and sisters last year (they wanted to celebrate my induction into the quilting world and my sisters and I wanted to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday by participating in a round robin with her--they are all quilters, I'm not... ). My quilt in the round robin is still rolled up waiting for me to quilt it and we are getting ready to celebrate an 81st birthday... (how embarassing, she asked me last week whether I had quilted it yet...) I've made lots of Leah Day sized practice quilts but can't make myself get on to the real thing... Is chocolate the answer?
Renata

Renata, I like Rita I am just now developing my machine quilting skills. I would wish I could enhance the flower with some delicate machine stitching. I would want to respect the simplicity of the Japanese theme. I might look for some motif in the fabric design. For example, I saw diagonal lines in the ribbon. I might put diagonal lines in the white with white thread spaced rather closely. Whatever, I'd decide, I'd try to remember that in something as lovely as this block, less is more. That would also be in keeping with the level of my machine quilting skills. IT is going to be lovely. Lois

Renata quilting is not one of my strengths. I would start with in the ditch and then you can do other things once you have stabilized it. If it was me I would stitch around the flower and then micro-stiple the black with black thread to make the flower pop. But really, what would I know. Nancy would be better placed to help you there.

Thank you, Robyn, Lois and Rita. The fabric really did it all. But I see potential for using larger patterned fabrics now in a pineapple block. I'm thinking I should make this up as a donation to the Alzheimer's effort rather than letting stay on the wall. I'll put a small border around it and perhaps small piping (if I can get it right ). Any suggestions for quilting? Please??? I'm really at a loss there...

That's lovely Renata. The flower in the centre is really gorgeous. Making the centre bigger like that does give you the scope to use those fabrics with a larger pattern. Inspiring.

Renata, Your Japanese inspired pineapple block is just lovely. Lois

Renata wrote:
Wow - that is beautiful - I can't wait to see a few of them put together!

I took a break from scrappy pineapples and gave a try with a Japanese-inspired pineapple block. Not totally satisfied with it yet, but it was a first try. I used Gyleen's concept of a bonus block from her book where you put a 4 inch finished square in the middle rather than a 2 inch square. Then I controlled the colors to give the block the look I wanted.

Thanks Renata, they both look really nice and do-able. I think I would like a cover like that for my eReader so I might try that first when I get back home. Happy quilting.

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
Thank you Rita! You were my first inspiration to do pineapples, especially with your initial Christmas and other runners. I just needed a swift kick to sit down and do them. Now, my brain is racing a mile a minute on what I could possibly do next... oh, forgot, I was trying to do Sedona Star BOM too... If I can pull together the Japanese inspired one, I will definitely post. I might do a block and post.

As for the pencil cases and book covers, I found two things online that are close to what I envisioned and remember from living there. For the pencil case, the website is http://www.coolpencilcase.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=C2017
You might find online a pattern for knitting needle holders that are very similar to these pencil cases; then you would adjust the size to what you need. But they appear very straightforward.

As for the notebook cover, the website is a blog by someone who has done something similar. It is http://kirinote.blogspot.com/2007/09/journal-cover-japanese-style.html
I hope this helps. Cheers,
Renata

lotti wrote: Lotti,
so glad you found the monkey! I thought of you the whole time I was putting that block together, happy there was a monkey in the midst. My first stuffed toy as a child was a monkey and I loved it. But, I will say, you found a lot more stuff in my trash than I even saw!!!
Renata

2dogs wrote: Thanks for your comment, Terry. As I was learning to make these blocks, I learned quickly that it was easier to cut all four fabrics for each round together (just lay four strips on top of each other), cut, then sew. I also found that if I measured the length of the block that was going to get the next piece sewn on and added 1/2", it was more than enough fabric. I have my cutting board next to the sewing machine, so I just laid the block on the cutting board and counted the number of squares on the cutting board.

You're right, some of the center blocks look like houses. That was unintentional. But, you raise a good point by indirection. When the value of one of the four fabrics surrounding the initial square was greater than the other three, the darker one looks like a roof!
Renata

Renta, Nice job on your blocks, I see the little houses in the centers. Hope to start on the pineapple blocks soon.
You all are very inspiring. Thanks for sharing.