– Lin Clements
THE PINEAPPLE BLOCK
The Pineapple design is an old one – dating back to before the 1930s – and the block features in many old quilts, particularly those made in the United States. The block is usually worked around a centre square, although this shape can be varied to feature other shapes (for example in a Maltese Cross formation). To build the design outwards, strips are added in rounds, normally on opposite sides and then opposite corners, making eight (8) sides, rather than four (4) as in a Log Cabin block. The number of rounds can be whatever you choose, and their width can either vary or be all the same. The Pineapple block has other similarities to the Log Cabin block, for example with the contrast between light and dark, and in that it can also be made with the centre offset. shows some examples where the contrast in tone is seen clearly. In the diagrams, A, B, C and D are essentially the same, however, the
