How is the strip piecing going? We are going to mix in a little twist with the strip piecing and show you a simple 9-patch block whose layout has limitless possibilities. Most of the blocks that we will make this year use the nine-patch layout.
Fabric needed: One 4.5″ strip x width of fabric each of 2 contrasting fabrics. For this tutorial, I am using a print from Mourning Gray & Purple and a Shirting – both of them Penny Rose Fabrics.
Cut each of the two 4.5″ strips into three equal segments – about 14″ each. *If you are making several 9-patch blocks, see #17 for instructions on cutting. You should now have 3 equal length strips of each color.
Place one strip of each fabric together right sides together and stitch down the length of the strip using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Repeat to make 2.
Press seam toward the darker fabric.
Lay out remaining strips with the sewn strips to make two groups of 3 strips with colors reversed.
Stitch remaining strips to corresponding strip set.
Press the seams toward the dark color on both strip sets.
Here is where we check our seam allowance by ensuring that the middle strip is the correct width. The middle strip should measure exactly 4″.
Trim off the selvedge edges.
Cut one 4.5″ strip from the set with the dark center.
Cut two 4.5″ sets from the set with the light center. Now you should have 3 sets that look like this.
With right sides together, place the first and second strip together and butt-up both seams.
Stitch together using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Press. *At this point, it doesn’t matter which way you press your seam because you won’t be butting this seam up with another.
With right sides together, stitch remaining strip to sewn strip sets.
Press. *Again, it doesn’t matter which way you press this time.
And here is your finished 9-patch block!
If you are going to make several of these blocks, cut 5 dark strips for every 4 light strips.
Don’t cut the strips apart before stitching them – just stitch the entire strip.
Then piece together 2 strip sets with the light center for every 1 strip set with the dark center.
Here are some ideas of what a 9-patch quilt might look like.
This one is just 9-patch blocks with an alternating plain block – also known as an Irish Chain quilt.
I switched the dark and light colors – look how fun and different.
Here is a layout option that has sashing on two sides of the block.
Remember how we made a 4-patch with four patches – a double 4-patch last time? This block is a double 9-patch; a 9-patch made of nine patches. So many options…use your imagination!