I’m starting a new feature on the blog…”Blast from the Past”. I’ll be showing off some of my “oldies but goodies” quilts.
Of all the quilts we have ever made here on the blog, this quilt is likely the one we get the most questions about. It’s out self sashing disappearing nine patch quilts. We’ve made them three different times.
I know, I know, it doesn’t look like a disappearing nine patch, but trust me, it is.
Kelli made this one. She made it for her husband’s cousin when he had surgery. He was an Iowa Hawkeyes fan so this was fun for him. There are Iowa Hawkeye fabrics mixed with some blacks and yellows and whites.
I went on and made one for a wedding quilt.
Then the couple I made one for a wedding quilt went on to have a baby. I had leftover scraps so made a baby sized one.
Through all of that, people kept telling us, NO THAT IS NOT A DISAPPEARING NINE PATCH QUILT! I can’t begin to tell you how many times we have defended that is truly is a disappearing nine patch!
We finally wrote so directions up to prove that is was. Here they are….
To make this version that is 49 1/2″ x 49 1/2″ you will need….
64 colored 5″ squares
64 neutral 5 ” squares
16 5 ” squares for cornerstones
1/2 yd for binding cut into 5 ~ 2 1/2″ strips.
Sew the blocks into nine patches as shown.
Cut those nine patches as shown.
Turn the pieces…
Sew them together.
There you have it….It really is a Disappearing Nine Patch! Can you see it now?
After the rows were assembled, we went back and removed the right brown and cream sashing row by ripping it off with the seam ripper. Then we added cream borders to the outside.
The next problem we always have is that people don’t understand why we rip the brown and cream border off….
Look at the block above. It is not symmetrical. There is a top and and side “border on it”. When you sew the blocks together you will have a quilt top that has a “border of sashing and cornerstones” on the left and top sides but the right and bottom sides won’t have that “border of sashing and cornerstones”. So, you need to either add the borders to the left and bottom or remove them from the top and right side.
On the first two quilts shown above, we added the borders. On the baby quilt version we took them off. The reason for taking them off was that I ran out of fabric!! Either way works.
….and hopefully that solves any questions regarding whether this is a Disappearing Nine Patch quilt or not.
Great idea. You are really clever.
I have been looking at a large amount of fabric in my stash
for donation quilts. This will be perfect.
Clever! And charm square friendly! I may need a fast baby quilt (if it’s a girl – I have boy one done). This will fill the bill nicely.
Thank you for the pattern…and the inspiration.
I don’t remember your previous post with the tutorial. I’m so glad that you decided to ‘visit the past’. I’ll be sure to write this one down. Thanks for all that you share.
I made one using your pattern for a cub scout auction. It was so easy!
Nice quilts! Thank you for the tutorial! It looks like a fast fun quilt to make.
I am using this pattern with my son’s school as they sew a quilt to be donated to our parish church.
I have made three of these. Using novelty fabrics in the correct location, it makes for a quick and easy I Spy quilt. Thanks for the pattern.