Pineapples

Once upon a time in Australia, there was a magical place called the Sunshine Coast and on this pristine and golden land the crazy Queenslanders built themselves a majestic monument to all that is good and wholesome and delicious and erected an enormous pineapple.  Being the wordsmiths that Aussies are know to be, they named this epic attraction... The Big Pineapple.

The Big Pineapple is really truly a thing here in Queensland.  It was built in the 1970's and was a major tourist attraction.  Admittedly, it's fallen into disrepair over the last 20 years, but it's something that genuinely epitomizes the Aussie way. (Seriously, if you're coming out to Australia, keep your eyes open for "big things" - you can see almost the whole country on the hunt for the Big Banana, the Big Prawn, the Big Guitar.. we have them all!!)

But why am I telling you about this??  Well I have this friend, who I refer to as a true blue Aussie bogan (a bogan is what we call someone who is working class, or uneducated - it's usually reflected in a broad Australian accent and the wearing of a lot of flannel and ugg boots and probably has the Southern Cross tattooed somewhere on their body... maybe it's not something I can explain in words). Anyway, my best friend (who is highly educated and incredibly intelligent but has the broadest Aussie accent and true patriotism, so I call her a bogan, even though technically she's not one) moved overseas. #sadface

And because I love her, and because I am a quilter, I am doing what quilters do... I am making her a quilt.  But an Aussie quilt. A quilt that screams sunshine and happiness to fill those dreary days in London.  A Pineapple Quilt.

--ooOoo--

It took me forever to figure out that a pineapple was what she needed.  I was going to make a Aussie flag. But that was going to be a pain in the butt because she's the person who needs for all the stars to have the right number points, and the quilt maths was making life hard. Then I was going to make maple leaves, because she originally moved to Canada, and I got started on them, but just wasn't feeling it. Then when she moved to London, I was going to just make a giant Union Jack, but that was British and I wanted something that was Aussie... So I did some quality pouting and then one day it occurred to me that she didn't need a flag, she needed a little bit of Aus. And what's more Aus then the holy grail of our childhoods, the Big Pineapple!

I pretty much cheated the pattern.  I did a google image search for pineapple blocks and then fluked the measurements to upsize it. I cut a bunch of large yellow squares, and laid them out. So far, not particularly exciting...

Yep. Most exciting photo ever...

Then I grabbed some nice bright greens and made big hsts. Then I dipped into my low volume stash and cut another bunch of big squares.  And before I knew it I had a top!!

I spray basted it (#spraybastingforthewin) to a big piece of spotty yellow minky - no wadding for this baby, that minky will be soft and snuggly enough! Then I threw it under my machine and pretended I can quilt.  I literally did big zig zags across the yellow (like a pineapple) and lines up through the green and then a wiggly line down each side through the white - least adventurous quilting ever.

So now all it needs is some binding and this baby is ready to ship off the the motherland ;-)

And honestly, isn't it just so pretty and sunshiney and happy. Don't you just feel like you belong outside in the fresh air and whatnot, just lookin' at it!!

So I'm calling that my fastest ever finish.  Despite wanting to make Jess a quilt for about 3 years, once I knew what I wanted for her, it was less than a month turn around! (And I know it still needs binding, but binding does not deserve it's own blog post - let's just call this one a day ;-) I promise to bind it quick ok.)

E xx

P.S - It's been so long since I blogged that I no longer know where the cool places to link up to are... or if people even do that anymore... So if you have a link up, or know one that you think I might be interested in, please post it in the comments, so I can properly join back in with my favourite peeps - quilty peeps :-)