Clementine Quilt Along Block 5 Pineapple’s Puzzle
Welcome back for Block 5 – Pineapple’s Puzzle of the Fat Quarter Shop Clementine Quilt Along! I can’t wait to share this block with you, and the cheats I included to make it, so read on.
Today’s block was all HSTs, with one large center block. I decided to use the Speedy 8 method for the entire thing. Over the years, I’ve written about my favorite method for making Half Square Triangles (HSTs), which I’ve always called Speedy 8’s. I don’t know why, it’s just the name that always pops up in my head. It’s fast, and it’s accurate. Known by numerous other names, I’ve called it Speedy 8 for so long, I’m sticking with it. I knew this method would leave me with four extra HSTs, then, as I started cutting and assembling, it dawned on me, I could sew together my four extra HSTs to create the center square in a square block. Voila! Soooooo fast and no waste! Here’s what I did.
- Cut (8) background fabric squares and (8 – 2 of each color) print squares (measurements below)
- Draw a line from corner to corner on the background square and layer atop a print, right sides together, then sew a quarter inch seam on either side of each drawn line (see pic below)
- Keeping your square together as you cut, cut the sewn block in half from top to bottom, in half from side to side, and then cut on the drawn lines.
- Open (8) HSTs and press seams.
- Square up blocks (see measurements below for block size).
- Assemble the four excess HST blocks together as shown to make center block
Fabric Cutting Measurements for 12½” block:
Substitute these in place of the measurements provided by Fat Quarter Shop.
- A: (8) 5″ squares (background white)
- B: None
- C: None
- D: (2 each print fabric) 5″ squares (total of 8 squares)
Fabric Cutting Measurements for 20½” block:
Substitute these in place of the measurements provided by Fat Quarter Shop.
- A: (8) 7″ squares (background white)
- B: None
- C: None
- D: (2 each print fabric) 7″ squares (total of 8 squares)
I chain piece my Speedy 8 blocks, using my quarter inch foot as a guide on the drawn line to sew a quarter inch away. And no….I never pin my Speedy 8 blocks.
I can’t live without my Bloc_Loc rulers to square up HSTs. Using the Speedy 8 method, I deliberately choose to oversize my blocks, then square them to the exact size I want. Each block requires 16 HSTs to complete, and each Speedy 8 square provides 8 HSTs. Square the HSTs to the following sizes, per block.
- 12½” block: Square HSTs to 2″
- 20½” block: Square HSTs to 3″
Once you have sewn the center block together, continue with the block assembly instructions provided by Fat Quarter Shop.
I am going to provide you a list of the supplies I am using. You can click on the affiliate links and get additional information about each product. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this method of speed cutting and sewing!
- Frixion Pens and Refills (I recently discovered that you can get refills AND that you can get Frixion “clickable” pens. No more losing the caps in a pile of fabric on the cutting table!)
- 2½” Square Bloc_Loc Ruler
- Olfa Rotary Cutter (Aqua because it makes me happy!)
- Small Rotating Mat (This is always on my cutting table being used)
- 6½” Square Bloc_Loc Ruler (I have this set which includes several sizes)
- Creative Grids Ruler (This is the 3½” x 12½” size and I don’t even remember buying it. Maybe it came in a Sew Sampler box? Whatever, I find myself using it ALL. THE. TIME. Very handy size!)
- Large cutting mat (reversible and 24 x 36 – can’t live without this. I have 3, in different colors and brands, two on my cutting table and one under my sewing machine!)
Enjoy and let me know if you try this method this month and how you like it!
Be a Part of the Clementine Quilt Along
- Drop by the Clementine Quilt Along page on the Fat Quarter Shop’s blog. This quilt along benefits the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital . Fat Quarter Shop is partnering with Moda Fabrics to match up to $20,000 of donations made by us for this awesome cause. So even though the patterns are completely free, please DONATE today!
- Order a Clementine Quilt Kit.
- Get your patterns on the 25th of every month through July 2018. And remember, donations are accepted for the downloads which benefit the St. Jude campaign each time you download the patterns.
- Visit all the blogs sewing along!
Visit the designers and quilters who are sewing along on their blogs and Instagram!
