Tag Archives: Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

Depression Era Quilts, Quilts and Quilting, String Me Along, Vintage Style String Me Along

Vintage Style String Me Along

August 19, 2026 Susie Stuklis 2 Comments

Vintage Style String Me Along

Hello Dear Friends and Readers and a warm welcome to today’s post. I have spent about one month in Western Australia and that time has been amazing and so interesting. If you follow me on FB or Insta you can see some of the photos there.

Now I am black home and it’s good to be here. My sewing room has been calling and I must say it is somewhat of a mess and needing a good tidy up! I thought I would start with a box of scraps which was doing nothing. A collection of all sorts of odd shapes and different fabric lines, chucked into the box from various different projects over time. In order to make some room and be able to get back to some basic machine stitching, i decided to make some string blocks with this fabric.

Vintage Style String Me Along susies-scraps.com

I sorted out the pieces and cut them very roughly into odd strips. Better pieces of fabric I cut into strips and added to my pile which may be used for a log cabin in the future. Lessons in Log Cabin Blocks It didn’t take that long and can be way more fun than hauling yardage. The piles of strips look very nice and my pile of rough strings gave a sense of achievement. As always, there is more fabric than anticipated and I’m pretty sure I can create at the very least, a baby quilt or a lap quilt.

In the pile I also have two old thin pillow coverings, so I cut them up to use as the foundation for the string blocks. My vision is a vintage style looking quilt which is homey and full of delightful strings. Depression era quilts were sometimes made of strings of fabric in this manner in order to use what was already available and then recycled into a quilt top. This lead to some very pretty quilts with a lovey mixture of fabrics. They often used the fabric feedsack bags to make clothing and quilts. It is a great look. The way the blocks will be positioned will give plenty of interest.

Begining by placing a string in the centre of the foundation block on the diagonal, making sure that it overhangs the edges. Cover with another string, right sides down lining up the sewing edges as much as possible. Sew, making at least a 1/4” seam. Make two blocks at a time so that it keeps the flow going and doesn’t use as much thread. Press the fabric strip open. I use a wooden thing or finger press well before adding the next strip. I even used up old bobbin thread which is actually great because now my bobbins are cleaned up as well!

This is how it looks from the back before trimming. It may look a little distorted because the foundry=tion was very thin however that will not matter once the block is trimmed.

I remember PJ from Quilting time in Dixie saying that she used old thin sheets for the foundation blocks and that seemed like an excellent idea to me.

In order to keep this as simple as possible I used my regular 6” ruler to cut the fabric into 6” x 6” squares to use for the foundations. This made it very easy to trim the blocks after pressing. this is how it looks from the front before trimming.

I used my trusty old treadle to make these blocks. Having been out of use for a while she responded to a good oiling. That is one of the advantages of this machine. The maintenance is easy, just give a good oiling! Treadle Tinkering

I plan to put the blocks together like this. I really like the pattern and it looks good from every side. I hope you can feel inspired dot make some string blocks. Loads of fun. It doesn’t require over thinking which means that it progresses very quickly.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like these other string projects.

Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

String Pot Holders or Trivets for Christmas

quilted christmas scrappy string stockings

Crazy Little Strings – Diamond Charms Quilt Block and Tutorial

Pink Strings Table Mat

String Feeder QAYG Bib

“End of Day” Quilters Basket – Free Tutorial

Thank you for joining me today and as always I wish you happpy stitching.

All the best, Susie.

Melbourne Trunk Show AQA, Quilts and Quilting

Melbourne Trunk Show AQA

November 29, 2024 Susie Stuklis 12 Comments

Melbourne Trunk Show AQA

Hello Dear Friends and Readers and a warm welcome to today’s post. I will share with you my trip to Melbourne last year. Here are some snippets from the day. As mentioned in a previous post of Great Granny Stars Hand Quilting Finish, I was invited to do a Trunk Show at the Australian Quilters Association (AQA) in Surrey Hills, Melbourne. Pamela Hammer contacted me after she had seen that quilt top on Instagram. That was in February, so I had four months to finish it.

Come June, I had finished hand quilting it, so I packed my suitcases and over we went. It is a good eight hour trip from Adelaide. Melbourne is a fantastic and very cosmopolitan city. There is no shortage of good restaurants of any cuisine one could desire, and it is a well known destination for fashion, shopping and live events including Aussie Rules Football. https://www.visitvictoria.com/

On the day of the trunk show I was met by a lovely group of experienced quilting ladies for a day of stitching and interesting conversation. All the ladies were working on varied, unique and beautiful projects. It was clear they they were all very accomplished stitchers. It was delightful to have the opportunity to see their works and chat about the projects they were working on as well.

Ohio Stars Part 3 – Sash It

My presentation began in the afternoon after lunch and went for one hour.

Melbourne Trunk Show AQA susies-scraps.com

Before the trip I was briefly concerned about having enough pieces to share but that was unfounded. The time was easily filled and it was so good to have helpers to hold up all the quilts.

Vintage Trellis Quilt and Quilting Hydrangeas Vintage Trellis Charm Quilt Finish and Quilting Hydrangeas

I have been lucky enough to have some sewing mentors in my life, my Grandmother who was really imaginative in using what she had to improve her wardrobe or bedding. She began life as a milliner, and escaped war torn Europe after WW2. Sewing was very important I believe at that time. She always seemed to have a needle in her hand. I never saw her use a sewing machine actually.

My mother who didn’t sew a lot, but what she did was perfect! I remember that abandoned her sewing machine as it just wasn’t working for her.

That was when, at the age of twelve, I stepped in and fixed her machine and began sewing my own clothes, then later for my children. Later i found quilt making and have continued ever since. I am fortunate because I also have my Stepmother Marion, who came with us for the trip and who is an avid quilter, cross stitcher and embroiderer. I always admire her accuracy and dillagence. She has made many beautiful pieces for our family. She does a lot of charity quilts with Orange Tree Quilters

My last mentor is of course my dear husband who’s stitches will forever be hidden but which are so much more refined and beautiful than mine because they are on on peoples hearts!

This is The Spinner QuiltThe Spinner Quilt – Part 3

Pamela was also keen for me to bring some works in progress. The Spinner was one of those tops which is finished and backed but now in the process of being machine quilted. This quilt as most of my others focuses on using as many different scraps as possible and finished with Prairie Points. I use vintage and antique sewing machines, especially treadles for piecing and quilting.

As always, I gain delight by using up scraps of fabric and creating designs which are easily reproducible. Delving into the fabrics already acquired and avoiding the purchase of extra materials. I try to minimize extra rulers and equipment to make my quilt tops.

This quilt top being a good example its a Jacobs Ladder Reimagined. Another quilt top which is unfinished and requires quilting. This quilt top used a lot of 1 1/2” scrap squares and the diagonal setting is created from half square triangles. Scrappy Jacob’s Ladder Quilt Reimagined

A lap size hand pieced Orange Peel quilt which began life as a travel project. Whenever and wherever possible having a travel project on the go, is a way of using those snippets of time to continue the creative process. Using scraps of low volume fabrics for the background squares and floral prints for all the appliquéd Orange Peels is how the centre was created. The first border has appliquéd floral circles. The second border was made in a colour wash style with 5” charm squares.

Orange Peel Quilt and Pattern

Some years ago I made this quilt I call Susies Roses Romance Quilt. It is made using a very easy technique to create an “On Point” design. Using 5” squares. The fabrics mostly green, pink and burgundy roses. This was machine quilted on a Singer Vintage 201K Singer from 1948 (electric). The quilting is an all over Rosebud design. Susie’s Roses Romance Quilt and Free Pattern

Here is the quilt which was the reason for attending AQA which is the Great Granny Stars. Machine pieced and hand quilted. Pamela thought that the group might be interested in recreating this quilt. This is a big quilt measuring 88 1/2″ x 104 1/2″. Great Granny Stars Hand Quilting Finish

Great Granny Stars Hand Quilting Finish susies-scraps.com

This quilt came along in the suitcases too. It is hand pieced and hand quilted Grandmother’s Flower Garden Quilt Like Grandma Used to Make

Bias Binding for Hexagon Quilt susies-scraps.com

Another unfinished work I brought along was these blocks of Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

Any String Goes - Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks susies-scraps.com — Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks susies-scraps.com

Here is Hand Quilting Scrappy Thousand Pyramids which also made an appearance.

Hand Quilting Scrappy Thousand Pyramids susies-scraps.com

I realised that I had plenty of quilts to share after all! This one is great for any scraps! Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt -Vintage Inspired

Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt susie's-scraps.com — Weekend Scrappy Half Log Cabin Quilt susie’s-scraps.com

All in all it was a fabulous trip. a good reminder of how many projects I have created. These are just a few that were present on the day. Not all of them finished of course! Here I am in Melbourne with a view of the Cathedral in the background.

Best wishes to you all from susie’s-scraps.com. And to all my friends in the USA I would like to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like,

Scrappy Diamonds Kaleidoscope Beauty Star Medallion Quilt – Part 3 Scrappy Housetop Log Cabin Variation Quilt Top Vintage Inspired

Happy stitching.

Any String Goes - Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks, Depression Era Quilts, Quilts and Quilting

Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

April 17, 2023 Susie Stuklis 16 Comments

Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

Hello dear friends and readers! If you are new to this blog, you might be curious about what sets susies-scraps.com apart. Well, my passion lies in creating things, but I am not in the business of selling anything, nor do I want to encourage you to make purchases. Instead, I enjoy devising simple, practical solutions for crafting items, particularly quilts. This blog is a labor of love, and you’ll find hundreds of projects to create, all available to you for free.

Today, I would like to share some thoughts on string blocks. I felt inspired to create new string blocks, as I have several buckets of strings that need to be utilized. I genuinely appreciate the fact that these strings are already cut and offer a wide variety of options. Additionally, I have some waste triangles on hand, which I save for projects like this.

To be honest, I never really envisioned myself making Pineapple Blocks. You might ask why. The reason is that I was not particularly drawn to the extensive cutting involved, the numerous sizes required, and the potential waste generated. Furthermore, there is a high likelihood of inaccuracy when creating Pineapple Blocks.

Pineapple Blocks are related to Log Cabin Blocks, with the distinguishing feature being the inclusion of triangles or strips in the corners. For further information on Log Cabin Blocks that may be helpful, please refer to “Lessons in Log Cabin Blocks“.

I understand that using a foundation is often preferred, whether it be paper or fabric, and there are pre-printed papers available for purchase that can facilitate highly accurate piecing.

However, today, we will liberate ourselves from all that and simply focus on using up some scraps. Given that we are working with strings and waste triangles, there won’t be any specific measurements involved—just repurposing strings.

While it’s true that stunning patterns can be created with Pineapple Blocks by strategically placing light and dark shades, today we have no rules—just our strings and sewing machines.

Remember to finger press or roller press as you progress.

The only guideline I am following today is using a consistent element for the center squares. Keep in mind that this is also optional, and you can choose the size. I have opted for 2 ½” x 2 ½” center squares.

So, let’s get started.

Block size: 10″ x 10″ (optional)

Seams are very approximate, at about 1/4″

Requirements for Any String Goes – Pineapple Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

Fabric strings of assorted lengths

Waste triangles from other projects (or strings can be used if preferred across the corners)

Scissors, small for trimming the lengths as you go.

Centre Squares – mine are mine are 2 ½” x 2 ½

TIP

For efficiency make at least two blocks at a time. Keep your containers of strings and triangles next to your machine. By all means use a foundation if you prefer. I have opted to go without.

Making the Any String Goes – Pineapple, Improvisational String Quilt Blocks

Beginning with the center square, add the first strip strip to one side of the square. Add a string to the opposite side then add two more strings to the other two sides. Trim as you go.

Next round, place a waste triangle, right side down across the corner of the block make sure that after stitching and folding back, that the triangle will cover the corner of the block. Continue to add triangles to the other three corners in the same manner.