Quilting Nine Patch

Special thanks to CJ AKA Homesteadmamma

First we need to get our supplies ready as in the following picture. You'll need a hard plastic ruler, straight pins, rotary tool, cutting mat and something to sew with, be it your sewing machine or needles and thread. Always have a seam ripper handy.

Next we need to make sure our material is washed (which we've already done), as in the following picture and according to the instructions posted.

Always soak your material for 1/2 hr. and use 1/4 c. salt and 1/2 c. vinegar to set the colors. Make sure that you sort material as to lights and darks. If you have a strong color, such as burgundy or red, soak them seperately. Once your material has been soaked, wash as you would a load of laundry.

Always wash a quilt in cold water if there are lots of different colors in it.

Once our material is washed and dried, we then want to press. Always press lightly and do not push the iron as the material tends to stretch a wee bit and often will go out of shape. In order to have accurate cuts, we always press lightly as in the following picture.

We now want to trim the selvage edge of the fat quarters or material along with the frayed edges.

Always remember to position your hands as in the following picture, making sure your finger is away from the blade. Place the blade against the ruler, pressing firmly but not pushing hard. When finished cutting, close your rotary tool each time!!

For this pattern, you will need:

One very light color
One medium light color
Two dark colors

Just as in the following picture. My light colors are white and light green. My dark colors are dark green and the dark burgundy.

We've now chosen our colors and to do this cut, we need to pick the lightest color you have picked. I used white but you can use another color as long as its your lightest color. (You will use this same color in a couple of other blocks.) Each block will measure 12 1/2 inches when finished.

Take your fat quarter and fold it in half. Do not fold more than twice because often you will undercut and your cuts will be a bit off, making your block off.

Take your ruler and place it on your fat quarters and measure across to 4 1/2 inches. Cut a full strip which will be 4 1/2 inches wide and the full length of your fat quarter.

When holding your ruler, again make sure your fingers are not near the blade. Hold the ruler firmly and cut 1 strip. Place the rest of the fat quarter aside for now.

Now take your strip and lay it on your cutting mat, making sure it remains doubled and that the material is lined up.

You will now need to cut that strip into 4 1/2 inch squares and you'll need 4 of them.

Please note where my assistant's hands are and how the strip is cut. (I don't have a full strip there, but the strip I had was more than 4 1/2 inches long so it had to be cut as in the picture.)

And another view of cutting our 4 1/2 inch squares.

I always cut all my material for each block before I begin sewing anything. That way, if you have a few extra minutes you can do some quilting.

For this cut, I want you to take your darkest colors that your going to use on this block. I'm using dark green and dark burgundy.

As in the following picture, I want you to take each fat quarter, fold it in half. Make sure its been trimmed. Line your ruler up so that the strip your cutting will be 2 1/2 inches wide and the full length of the fat quarter. Cut 2 strips off of each fat quarter.

Your now going to do the exact same thing with one medium light color. I'm using a mint green in my block.

Cut 2 strips, 2 1/2 inches wide and the full length of your fat quarter as in the following pictures. Once this is done, lay aside.

I want you to take the strips and were going to do a bit more cutting.

You'll need to cut as in the following picture:

6 - 2 1/2 inch squares out of the dark (mine is dark green)
4 - 2 1/2 inch squares out of the other dark strip (mine is dark burgundy)
10 - 2 1/2 inch squares off your medium color (mine is mint green)

Make sure your hands are in the right position, with your blade of your rotary tool against the plastic ruler. Press firmly on the ruler so that it does not move.

Once this is cut, put the strips aside and place your 2 1/2 inch blocks with your 4 - 4 1/2 inch light blocks.

You will now take your 2 1/2 inch blocks (all of them) and sew 2 together each time, making a total of 10 rectangles, measuring 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches each.

Sew:

6 - med. light and dark together. (mine are mint green and dark green)

4 - med. light and sec. dark together. (mine are mint green and dark burgundy)

You will then have 10 - 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strips.

Press these (as in the following picture), always pressing towards the darker color unless the pattern tells you otherwise. You'll notice that the material tends to fall towards the darker color. Once these are done, lay them aside. Press the back first, then turn over and press lightly the front.

Now we will take 2 of each rectangle and sew them together. So you'll have:

4 - med light and dark of one color (mine are mint green and dark burgundy.)
6 - med light and dark of the other color (mine are mint green and dark burgundy.)

Pick up one rectangle and picking up another one of the same color, turn the one rectangle so that when you go to sew, the pressed sides will be opposite each other. Making sure that they fit together, sew as in the following picture:

You will make 3 - blocks of med light & dark and 2 blocks of medium light and dark of the other color.

Once you have the rectangles sewn together, press. Once pressed, each block should measure 4 1/2 inches. Take your ruler and place over the block and check. If its out just a wee bit, press the block again back first and then front and often that will make your block the proper size. If its out lots, use your seam ripper and start over!!

Your block should look like this:

Now its time to begin to sew the blocks together. Because of the way we made our blocks, will want to lay them out like I have them. When you make another block, you can change the layout if you so wish. You could put the light colored blocks on the outside and one in the middle or anyway you want.

So it should look like this before you start sewing the blocks together.

Now the best way to sew these and to not get confused is to put the blocks exactly as you have them now on a 15 x 15 inch ruler and lay that beside your sewing machine. For those who don't have a 15 x 15 inch ruler, you can use a piece of cardboard from a cereal box. Always keep it by your sewing machine so that you don't end up by sewing it wrong.

Take your first 4 1/2 inch block (mine is mint green and dk. burgundy) along with your light 4 1/2 inch block and turn them facing each other. Sew using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Once this is sewn, press to the darker side. Go back to your sewing machine and pick up your next 4 1/2 inch block (mine are mint green and dk. green) and do the same, sewing making sure you use your 1/4 inch seam allowance. Once sewn, press again towards the darker color.

Make 3 rows doing this. Once your finished your 3 rows should look like this:

Last couple of steps here.

I want you to take your top strip and your middle strip. Putting right side together, I want you to pin as in the following picture. Make sure that your seems to your 4 1/2 inch blocks fit together (the seams in each block should be pressed opposite of each other). If pressed opposite of each other, the seams will fit right in each other. Make sure you pin as in the picture. That way, the strips don't move as you sew.

Once sewn, press the back and then do the exact same thing with the bottom row and the strip you've already sewn. Once that is sewn, press the back seam again.

You now have a completed first block. Your completed block should measure 12 1/2 inches. This is where a 15 x 15 inch ruler is immeasurable!!! (That's why I love this ruler.) If you don't have this ruler, take the ruler you do have and measure across and down.

Now if it isn't quite 12 1/2 inches, you can often press it and it will become that measurement. If it is over a bit, trim with your rotary tool. If you've kept track of the sizes I've mentioned, it should be bang on or close to it.

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