QAF Monthly Saturated Color

Nine Patch Swaps

 

6 1/2" unfinished (6" finished)

 

Once upon a long time ago I used to swap 9-patch blocks every month on the WorldWide Web. Each month the theme/color would change and it was a lot of fun making these to swap all over the world. I received 9-patch blocks from So. Africa, England, Canada, Australia and all over the U.S. The groups varied each month, but usually had 15 or 16 participants. I found I could easily make 16 blocks in one evening or two, from a double strip set.

The Nine Patch block can be set in many ways, using an alternate Snowball or plain block, or Monkey Wrench block or just set by itself, making grand scrappy quilts. So, we are reviving these great swaps here on QAF, and we hope that at least some of you will join in and get some really fast, scrappy quilts from your swaps.

I will give you the cutting instructions to make one block, and then also for making up to 16, from a double strip set (your fabrics must measure 40" after selvages are off to get this many). You can make as many as you want that way. They are quick and easy to make, either way.

Fabric choices will be posted each month. You may do the swap one month, or every month. Most months will call for saturated color, that is, a dark fabric and a lighter fabric of the particular color called for that month.

For each block:

To Assemble one block: Sew one dark square to one light square. Press to the dark. Repeat twice. Then sew a dark square to the opposite side of the light square on two of these sets and press those seams to the dark. Then sew a light square on the other side of the dark on the remaining set and press to the dark.

Lay your sets out in a row, as per the picture above. Sew the top strip to the middle strip, nestling the seams together, to get nice sharp intersections. Press either up or down. Repeat, sewing the bottom strip to the middle strip.

You're done! See how easy that was?

Now, for the double strip set that will give you 16 blocks in one sitting!

Sew one of the dark strips to one of the light strips. Watch your 1/4" seams, sew nice straight seams. Press to the dark. Repeat twice. Then sew a dark strip to the other side of the light strip on two of the strip sets and press again to the dark. Sew a light strip to the other side of the dark on the remaining strip, press to the dark. At this point you should have 3 strip sets, two that are D,L,D and one that is L,D,L and each of them should measure 6 1/2" wide.

A note on pressing:

When you are pressing these long strips, it is good to 'set' your seam first, that is, lay the strip down with the side you are going to press TO up, lay your iron down on the seam you have sewn, and lift and press all along the seam - lift, press, lift, press, etc. Then pick up the raw edge of the dark (top) fabric and fold it back to reveal the right side of the fabrics and the seamline and press carefully so that the strip lays down with the fold right at the seamline. (You are pressing on the right side of the fabrics at this point). This should give you nice crisp seams and your strip set at this first pressing should measure 4 1/2" wide. After the final strip is attached and pressed they will measure 6 1/2" wide.

Now to the actual blockmaking. First you will crosscut each of your strip sets by cutting them up into 2 1/2" pieces. These will measure 2 1/2" by 6 1/2". You should be able to cut 16 of them from each strip set if all your fabrics were 41" or more to start with.

First, trim off the first end, taking off just enough to get rid of the selvages there, lining up marks on your ruler with one or both of the seamlines so you get a nice clean cut on that first end. Turn your strip around and start lining up your ruler at the 2 1/2" mark, and at the same time, line up the marks on the ruler with your seamlines. This will ensure all your pieces are cut nice and straight and your blocks will go together and measure up to be 6 1/2" square when you are finished. As you go along you may have to stop and re-trim your leading end to ensure you continue with those nice 90 degree cuts.

Once you have all your crosscutting done, line up your little strips in stacks, so they look like the block above. I usually sew vertical seams on these, goes really fast. Sew the first two stacks together, then take to the ironing board and press all to the strip with the dark at top and bottom. Then sew the remaining strips to these sets. If you have pressed as suggested throughout, you are still nestling those seams and you will notice instantly if you are starting to sew to the wrong side. As shown above, the darker squares are to be in the 'X' position in your blocks.

Press these last seams and you are DONE!!! Wasn't that fun?! Now get out your 6 1/2" square up ruler and measure your blocks. (What, you don't HAVE a 6 1/2" square up ruler? I can't imagine being without mine!!! Get one as soon as you can, you will love it!)

© 2004 Mary Evans