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Disappearing Nine Patch |
Block 59 - Disappearing Nine Patch
This block has been around for a while, but it still holds a lot of appeal to quilters. It's a fun twist on a nine patch and it's easy. There are no seams to line up except at the corners, which is very simple. It also give you endless options - you can go controlled or scrappy and either novelties or elegant fabrics look great done this way.
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I have an old Moda Charisma charm packet laying around that I pulled from for my block. I used 9 different fabrics. You can do that or go more controlled with only one color family or a combination of one color and neutrals. Make sure you have a variety of values from light to dark. You want some to pop out at you. |
Cutting:
From each fabric, cut 1 - 2 1/2" square.
Jan. 7 Update: Thanks to Cyndi for catching a mistake. Cut the squares 2 3/4" to make this block work. It will finish a bit larger than 6 1/2" but you can trim it to 6 1/2" easily. Sorry for the confusion!
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Lay out the fabrics any way you chose. I wanted the center to be a strong color so I put the red there. Sew into a nine-patch block. |
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After your nine-patch is sewn, cut it in half in the center on the horizontal and vertical to make 4 equal units. |
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Once your units are cut, you can arrange them any way you like. |
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For a super-controlled look, place the small square in the same place for all blocks. This will give you the look of large squares with sashing and cornerstones on the finished top. |
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For a more chaotic look, alternate the small squares so two face in and two face out. Keep experimenting - you can place that small square anywhere. This one block could make numerous quilts that look nothing alike! |
Once you determine your placement, sew the block together like a four-patch. It will be slightly larger than 6 1/2" (about 6 3/4") because of the math. Just trim equally on all sides to get it to 6 1/2".
Love this block Jenifer!
ReplyDeleteI'm baffled as to why mine ended up at 6". I think I'll try one with " squares and see what happens. I'll let you know.
ReplyDeleteOkay. It ends up at 6 because there are 3 seams. 2.5 x 3 = 7.5, 7.5 - 1.5 = 6. If you use 2.75" squares, you'll end up with a trim-able 6.75. The one I made with 3" square is usable but not the same.
ReplyDeleteLove this! So smart. Anything not to have to sew tiny pieces! Would you happen to have a photo of a finished quilt made like this that you can post or send me? I'd like to see the "big picture". Thanks! I don't have a clue what to select for" Comment as:" so I'm selecting Anonymous. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteMelba Hayes
melbahayes@yahoo.com
Hi Melba, I've never made a large quilt with the disappearing nine patch block, but if you search it in google images a lot show up. Glad you like the block! Jenifer
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