Perfect Pineapple Blocks with the Creative Grids Trim Tool

This blog post walks through the process of creating a striking pineapple-style quilt block using the Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool, highlighting how the tool simplifies each step and ensures accuracy throughout the eight rounds of construction. Set against a bold black background with fabrics from the Benartex Cityscape collection, the block showcases how color and contrast can truly shine when paired with the right design. The post explains the logic behind strip sizing, trimming techniques, and the alternating use of square and angled guides on the ruler, making the method approachable even with its layered construction. The result is a beautifully framed, polished quilt block that demonstrates both the versatility of the tool and the visual impact of the pineapple pattern, leaving readers inspired to try it themselves.

This is your next masterpiece quilt block, and I truly mean that because I absolutely love this one. This is the pineapple trim quilt block, a classic pineapple-style pattern made using the Pineapple Trim Tool from Creative Grids. The tool was incredibly helpful throughout the process, and I am a big fan of Creative Grids in general. They consistently make high-quality tools, and the instructions included with this one were clear and easy to follow. There are quite a few layers involved in this block, but the finished result is more than worth the effort.

I chose black as the background fabric, which really makes any color you choose pop. The fabrics I used were from the Benartex Cityscape collection, and this was my first time working with them. The colors are beautiful, and they really shine against the black. I hope you will give this block a try, because it is both striking and fun to make.

One helpful tip that came from a viewer is to place see-through rulers on a piece of batting rather than white fabric when demonstrating or working. The batting provides contrast, making the markings on the ruler much easier to see, and I completely agree. When you look at the trim tool this way, you can really see how it is designed to guide each round of the block. Creative Grids rulers also have non-slip backing, so they stay firmly in place while cutting.

This quilt block can be made in three sizes: 6 inch, 8 inch, or 10 inch. I chose the 10 inch block because I wanted to use the full size and work through the entire process. The trim tool is laid out with squares and angle lines that correspond to each round of the block, alternating between background and feature fabrics.

The block begins with a 2 and 1/2 inch square of fabric. All of the strips used to build the rounds should be at least 1 and 1/4 inches wide and no more than 2 inches wide. I chose to cut all of my strips at 2 inches, whether they were black or colored, simply because it was easy to remember and kept things consistent.

There are no exact measurements for the length of each strip. The only rule is that each new strip needs to be slightly wider than the piece it is being attached to. For example, starting with a 2 and 1/2 inch square, I cut the first strips at about 2 and 3/4 inches. As long as the strip is a little larger, it will work just fine. You stitch strips to opposing sides first, press them open, then add strips to the remaining sides. This method keeps everything balanced as the block grows.

Once the first set of strips is attached, the trim tool comes into play. For round one, you place the round one square on the ruler over the center of the block and trim all four sides. The diagonal guide lines on the ruler are especially helpful here, as they allow you to check that everything is lined up properly before you cut. If those lines are not parallel to the fabric edges, you know something is off and can fix it before moving on.

For round two, you add a new fabric, trim again using the square marked for round two, and continue in the same way. The trim tool alternates between square guides for even-numbered rounds and angled line guides for odd-numbered rounds. Rounds three, five, and seven use the angled line, while rounds two, four, six, and eight use the square guides. This pattern makes it surprisingly easy to stay on track once you get the hang of it.

If you ever lose count, simply start at the center and count each round outward. The first round outside the center is round one, then round two, and so on until you reach round eight. This makes it easy to know which guide on the ruler to use next.

After completing all eight rounds, the block is already beautiful, but there is one final step. The corners are added using four small triangles cut at 2 and 1/2 inches by 4 inches. These are stitched onto each corner and pressed open, squaring up the block one final time using the outer edge of the trim tool. This last trim frames the design perfectly and brings the whole block together.

The finished pineapple quilt block is truly stunning. It easily ranks in my top five favorite blocks I have ever made. The Pineapple Trim Tool from Creative Grids is one I will definitely keep in my quilting room, as it is used repeatedly throughout the project and genuinely earns its place among my favorite tools.

I hope you enjoyed following along and that you will give this block a try yourself. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of our past videos. As always, happy sewing.