Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pineapple or Strawberry?

I enjoyed Block #3.  While I was working on it, I did occasionally question whether these were actually pineapples or strawberries - does anyone else sense strawberries at the base?.  Anyway, I went with the crowd.

Block No 3

  I know they are only meant to be figuaritive pictures but I couldn't help feeling that maybe we have a strawberry.  Of course, I couldn't work out what that smaller bit at the end was meant to be, because no strawberry I've ever eaten has a top to it.  I've never seen a pineapple close up in the ground, but I felt the stem had more strawberry qualities than pineapple.  And perhaps, strawberries are similar in size to cherries and would have fitted in with the cherry tree concept better.  Just musings while I stitch away.  If we had been sitting in a circle sewing, I would have shared these thoughts with you.



I have a few pineapple prints,  having only ever made one pineapple previously!  So it was a bonus to have the opportunity to select four different fabrics.  The only difficulty was frequently losing the fingerling freezer paper.  Tracing it out and cutting it a few times was a frustrating waste of time.  In future, I plan to keep every pattern piece in a clip-lock plastic bag until the block is finished.

Now onto the next block.

10 comments:

  1. I thought the design was pineapples. Now you have me wondering.

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  2. Well, I can see why you could think strawberries, but in relationship to the rest of the blocks that are cherries and flower buds, I think size-wise, I still think they are pineapples. You block turned out really pretty. I love your fabric choices.

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  3. I say pineapple because strawberries never have green leafy texture on the tips! I love your color and fabric selection. You did a beautiful job with applique.

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  4. I was secretly contemplating into making mine "thistles". :)
    The shape reminded me of them, and I think I want an excuse to add purple to the quilt :) but I ended up making mine into golden pineapples in the end.

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  5. What a fantastic block!!
    My 2 cents? I've never seen a yellow strawberry.... vbg

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  6. Very nice. I couldn't use freezer paper on this block, I did the back basting method. The pieces were too thin and the curves too deep for me to use my regular method.

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  7. When I checked on Gai's blog, I saw them in yellow so I made pineapples but if you left off the top green piece and made that area more pointy, I could see strawberries, too. But - because of the significance of the pineapple, I think that's more likely.

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  8. Thanks for all the opinions. I used freezer paper to mark the pattern before needle turning. I saw that the quilt had yellow on this block, but I felt the colour may not have been yellow originally. It could have faded or lost its dye in washing. The size argument does seem to hold water - the strawberries would have been smaller and more numerous. I thought there may have been more significance to pineapples than strawberries, although I don't remember their meanings. Of course the green bit on both ends was persuasive too, but my pineapple has great big pointy spikes and that is a feature. It seems underplayed in this pattern. Anyway, I went the pineapple.

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  9. Liz,
    I too was wondering what they were. I htink pineapple may be right but I may do mine different anyway!

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  10. I think they are pineapples, as they are a more traditional theme - one of welcome - rather than strawberries. Can;t say i have seen many in old quilt designs

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