Welcome back to our third part for Tuesday Tutor. If you haven't started yet, you can find the previous parts here:
- Requirements
- Rail Fence Block
- Pre-order the whole pattern plus additional designs as they are released
This week we are making a 9-patch.
9-patch blocks can be made a number of ways depending on the look you want. You can divide the squares into a certain color combination using light and dark or using various color combinations or you can create a scrappy block that is just a jumble of color.
If you are creating a basic two fabric 9-patch it is very easy because you work in sets of strips. We all like easy right? The first set would be an a-b-a combination and the second set would be b-a-b combination....or using shades of light and dark, your combinations would be dark-light-dark and light-dark-light. This is explained better by looking at the pictures below.
Create 2 strip sets, cut them to size and rejoin to make block
The sets are cut up to form the rows, then rows are joined. Blocks go together very easy and quickly.
We are going to do a similar thing for our block however we will be using three sets of fabrics instead of two as shown above so that the design fits with our quilt sampler. We will require FOUR 9-patch blocks in total. Each row of the block will be different but all blocks will be the same.
Cut the following 2 1/2" strips from your fabrics
ONE full width strip of fabrics 2, 4, and 8
cut in half to make TWO 1/2 width strips
ONE 1/2 width strip of fabrics 1, 6, and 9
Join the strips in sets as shown:
fabrics 4-6-4
Set 1: Sew fabric 6 strip between the TWO fabric 4 strips. Press the seams toward fabric 4
fabrics 8-9-8
Set 2: Sew fabric 9 strip between the TWO fabric 8 strips. Press the seams toward fabric 9
fabrics 2-1-2
Set 3: Sew fabric 1 strip between the TWO fabric 2 strips. Press the seams toward fabric 2
Why do we press the seams like this? You will see when we come to join the sections how the seams butt together when the seams are pressed in opposite directions. This makes the seams lock together and reduces the need for pins which in turn speeds up the process.
Once your seams are pressed correctly we are going to cut them all up. This method speeds up our constructions. Often we can cut strips, join them, and re-cut them to make up a design. This eliminates the need to sew small seams and tends to make the process more accurate as well as faster. You can end up with various shaped pieces without having to cut them using templates. Okay, I admit it, if I can avoid templates I do! It just makes piecing a whole lot easier and I will always look for ways to hurry it along while keeping it accurate so I can get onto the quilting which is my favorite part of the whole quilt.
So remember how we straighten up one end of our strip block? We are going to do that again and then cut our blocks. Cut FOUR 2 1/2" strips from each strip block. Then join the strips together with set 2 in the center.
This time, press both seams towards set 3. We are aligning the seams up with next week's blocks so you'll see how they butt together then.
That completes our nine-patch block and another week's tutorial. If you would like to purchase the pattern at our blog exclusive price (including the two quilts below) you can find it here: Sampler 9-patch
If you would like to pre-order the entire set of instructions for our Sampler quilt plus 2 bonus free parts, you can do that too!
See you next week!
Here are some simple quilts using this weeks block.
9-patch Point quilt with blocks on point
9-patch and Rails quilt uses 9-patch & Rail Fence Block
Both quilts can be found in this week's pattern instructions: Sampler Quilt - 9-patch
