Disappearing 9 Patch ... Diagonal Cut Tutorial (or split cut 9 patch)

Ever wonder what to do with a fat eighth?  Here is one great simple block - it's a disappearing 9 patch - cut on the diagonal and reassembled.

For this quilt I used all Cotton + Steel fat eighths.  A fat eighth is 9" x 21" - but not all fabric cuts are totally accurate.  Some of my pieces were just shy of 9" deep, so I cut my squares for this 9-patch:  4 1/4" x 4 1/4". 

Pull out 9 squares that make a variety in both color and dark/light.  Sew into a 9 patch, 3 across by 3 down.

Now cut this whole unit from corner to corner on the diagonal.  You will end up with 4 pieces.  Put these into a pile and start the whole process over again.    

Now comes the fun part.  Take two random triangles and position them so that the two large, uncut squares are opposite each other.

Don't try and be all matchy matchy or overthink this.  There is so much pattern that trying to 'figure out what looks best' is not really possible.  

Put your pairs all together and have fun sewing them together.  Now its TIME TO TRIM!

My blocks were a little shy of an 8"x 8" -  so I just grabbed my 7.5" square ruler and trimmed everything to 7.5" x 7.5". 

Yes, a little waste with the trimming but I really didn't want to chase after an extra half inch or so and following the template made perfect blocks and kept this project relaxing and fun. 

Now the important part - layout is key.  There are two whole squares in the middle of your block, and above them are two small triangles (dark pink and stripped in the pix above).

The goal is to have the 'little triangles' meet whenever you can during the layout phase.  Why do it this way?   I think it's easier to find the little triangles as a repeating pattern on an already busy looking block.  The pix above shows how easy it is to find the four little triangles to match up. 

Not every side of your blocks will have little triangles to match.  But if you do it this way -  lots of secondary diamond shapes appear throughout your quilt ... all created by the various sized triangles lining up.  

To layout on point - here is a video from the Fat Quarter Shop for visual instruction.  There is also a link for a downloadable cutting & measurement chart. I would recommend using Kimberly's suggested cutting sizes and even going a half inch larger for the corner triangles - this will allow lots of wiggle room for squaring up.

Notes:  one 9-patch made with 4.25" squares yields 4 'triangles' (or 2 blocks).  Each block is trimmed to 7.5" x 7.5"   This quilt has 25 Cotton + Steel blocks.  Following the Fat Quarter downloadable chart, the rest is Kona white with a 3" border on every side. 

The back is a rainbow of left over minkys and here is my post on how to do that.  

I press my seams open so quilting was done with a walking foot on either side of the seams - and through the larger squares that didn't have seams.  Because of the minky back I did a generous 3.30 straight stitch length and used Aurifil 50wt. #2000.  

Two links to earlier quilts made with this block, not on point but a little easier Row by Row: here and here.  I hope that this variation of the disappearing 9 patch becomes as fun for you as it is for me.  

Materials:
Cotton + Steel - Fat 8's
Kona white
Warm & White batting
Scrap minky
Aurifil 50wt. #2000
Size: 45.5" X 45.5"
May 2019

Diagonal 9 Patch Quilt in Good Fortune (#71)

Even on a cloudy day Good Fortune by Kate Spain is bright and brilliant. A simple pattern that works every time with all types of fabrics.

Here is how you make the blocks:

 Sew together 9 squares - mine were 5".  Cut on the diagonal from corner to corner. Mix up your 'triangles' so you have a variety of colors and then pick two.  Put them together with the large squares across from each other - (image 4.) Sew together and trim all the same size. 

If you like a particular fabric - place it where it will NOT be cut on the diagonal -   Image 3 above shows this the best. Each 'triangle' will always have a 'focus' square - use your prettiest fabric there.

Here are 4 blocks.  By being mindful when you do the layout - you can make a little diamond in the middle and larger diamonds (see BIG arrows!)

  

White dimple dot minky with Aurifil 50wt. thread Muslin (#2311) on the front and white (#2024) on the back. Quilted on the seams with a wavy stitch and new #14 needle.

For more about Kate Spain and her 2012 collection Good Fortune - here is a Designer Tidbits courtesy of the Fat Quarter Shop.

Materials:

Good Fortune by Kate Spain / Moda

Binding:  Terrain by Kate Spain / Moda

Warm & White batting

Kona White

Dimple Dot minky - white 

Aurifil 50wt. thread

Size: 59" x 73"

February 2017

Spa 9-patch Quilt (#43)

A 9-patch block made with Deb Strain's Spa line from Moda,  proves that the combination of blue and white can be both fresh & traditional at the same time.

Spa uses beautiful scroll designs and mosaic motifs in multiple shades of blue - from light to cobalt. This collection is like looking at Blue Willow china or Delft pottery.  Your eye can always find something to enjoy.

White Kona sashing & borders lighten up the front, and help separate the Midnight Blue minky on the back.  My initial choice for the back minky was a light grey because I was worried it would be 'too blue' - but the darker back worked nicely to give the quilt more visual weight.

Tension issues can arise when using  minky.  If you use a dark bottom thread and the tension is a little off, or you get stuck with the batting and minky making your walking foot work extra hard - the darker thread can show up on the lighter quilt top. 
 Here's my win/win solution - I use a light thread in the bobbin.  (in this case it was the middle spool of grey blue)

Aurifil 50wt. is perfect since it sinks and almost disappears into the 3mm pile of the minky.   This totally works for me; no stress about thread show on the front and the back looks great since you can still see the stitching lines ... I can't wait to use more dark minkys!

Materials:
Spa by Deb Strain / Moda
Kona white
Aurifil 50wt. dove(#2600), white & grey blue (#5007)
Warm & White batting
Midnight blue dimple dot minky
Size: 57"x 72"
October 2015

Noteworthy by Sweetwater Quilt (#28)

I really like the fabric collections from Sweetwater and Noteworthy  is no exception.  Like Lucy's Crab Shack, there are lots of swirls, loops, words & labels - all in very pretty colors that harmonize when you put them next to each other.  

This quilt was made using 5 charm packs in  a nine patch design.  I needed just 4 more 'blocks' so I cut white 9" squares and put them in the corners.  The border is 1 yard of coordinating fabric.

The batting is Moda's Kyoto bamboo and I love it. I have only made one other 'traditional' quilt and that used Warm & Natural -  (the rest are minky or flannel).  The bamboo is a little thinner but softer - and it's correct what others say about it having a nice drape.  Pricey at $28 for a twin sized roll from Fabric.com (compared to Warm and Natural at $18.50).

 I did push the envelope and pre-wash/dry the Kyoto batting in my front load washing machine and regular dryer - and the width shrunk about 2.5'.  It also stretched in the length but next time I will pre-measure it before washing to see how much shrink it has - and not go by the package dimensions.

Pieced with Aurifil 50wt sand - quilted with a broken zigzag stitch using a walking foot - with Isacord40 white.  Spray basted with 505 before quilting - and then ironed the layers when they were together to help the spray stick better - great tip. 
Linking up to Go-Go Kim's SEWjo Saturday 

Size: 60" x 75"
July 2014

Good Fortune by Kate Spain (#15)

Using a 9 patch pattern from the Moda Bakeshop courtesy of Jera at Quilting in the Rain - I used Kate Spain's Good Fortune charm packs, Kona Ash and a dimple dot minky (some post it as silver - but it's light grey).

    14 blocks, trimmed to 12" square.  Sashing between blocks was cut either 4.5" or 1.5".  I used the center row as the longest row and cut everything else to fit (my years doing magazine paste up finally paid off!).

    I bought 2.5 yards of minky for the back to be sure and had a little left over.  Gutterman #102 sew all thread quilted the cotton top, muslin middle and minky back. Spray basting and pinning, the hardest part was straight line stitching since my walking foot only has a guide for the right - so the entire quilt had to go into the throat of the sewing machine - it was slippery and tight - but the end result was worth it.
October 2013    54" wide by 66" long.

A Walk in the Woods 9 patch (#6)

A Walk in the Woods by Aneela Hoey, back with Robert Kaufman cozy cotton flannel sky.  Disappearing 9 patch, using red in the center square so that all 'corners' would be red.
Moda white (or Milk) jelly is the sashing.
Finished size:  54" wide by 67" long.
November 2012