Disappearing 9-Patch

This is the technique to be demonstrated at the Ancaster Quilters Guild on Wednesday, October 20, 2010.

You will be making 9-patch blocks.This elevates the lowly 9-patch block to another level of sophistication.

I cut my squares 4.5". You can also use charm packs of 5" squares for this project. A package comes with 30 or 50 squares.

The Disappearing Nine-Patch design is a nine-patch quilt square made with squares of any size. Stitch your nine-patch square placing the 5-inch fabric squares in a grid of three across and three down to create the 'nine' patch design. Stitch together using the traditional quarter-inch seam. Carefully press and make sure the finished piece is square.

For a coordinated design, use three fabrics with the darker fabric in the centre.

Square up your nine-patch: take your rotary cutter and make two cuts, one horizontally through the center of the nine-patch square and then one vertically through the center, making four equal squares.

Look at the four pieces you have made. Each of them should have a small square on one corner, a large square on the opposite corner and two rectangles. Position these quilt pieces so that two of the smaller squares touch corner to corner on the diagonal. Add the other two pieces with the large squares touching in the middle, also diagonally across from each other. 

Sew the four squares together in this configuration. 

Magically, the 9-patch has disappeared!