My Sisters n stitching first block swap
For the first swap we will swap 9” finished 9 patch
blocks. Some of you may be thinking
“What? How boring!”, but that is not necessarily true. Remember the “Cut 9 patch” quilt President
Dorothy showed at the February meeting’s show and tell? There are many ways to play with 9 patch
blocks such that no 2 quilts, even starting with the same blocks, will be the
same. Besides differences in setting s
for the blocks, the original 9 patch blocks may just be your starting place. There are many techniques for cutting and
rearranging the blocks to become a different block design. Links to patterns for ideas will be at the
bottom of this post.
There are currently 24 members signed up for this block
exchange. If everyone makes 16 9 ½”
unfinished blocks that will give us a potential 36x36” quilt to start with. If desired, increasing the size of the quilt
could be easily done using sashing, different settings or slicing and
rebuilding the blocks. 9 patch blocks
are fast, we should not have any problem getting this block done in 2 months to
be traded at the April meeting. The squares
will be composed of 5 dark (the 4 corners and center) and 4 white, off-white or
cream squares. The important thing is
value. If you use a print fabric for
your light squares, please make sure that the cut fabric reads as a light (is
the pattern too busy or big?), squint, can you still see a clear distinction in
the lights and darks in your block?
A more interesting scrap quilt, will use
LOTS of different colors and fabric designs.
A block with mixed fabric types and colors will help to smooth out the
appearance of the quilt top. A top with several blocks containing a square of
30’s, bright, modern, etc., will look better than one with a single block made
with all brights or the dark squares all the same color. Please try to vary your darks, preferably a
different dark for each dark square of the nine patch block. You may vary your lights if you desire.
In order to accomplish this type quilt, you
can choose one of 2 methods:
1. You can cut individual 3.5" squares for each 9 patch
block. If you have cut individual 3.5
inch squares for these 9 patch blocks, assemble your squares using the graphic
image of the block to guide you.
Or
2. You can cut 3.5” strips of all your different dark fabrics and
matching or different strips for your light fabric. If you cut 3.5 inch strips
for your quilt, they will be sewn into 3 different sets:
a.) 2 sets of strips will be dark strips with one white/cream strip
in the center as in the top picture left and center.
b.) The third set of strips will be 2 white/cream strips with a dark
strip in the center as in the top picture to the right.
These two types of strip-sets will then be
sub-cut into 3.5" strips. For one 9 patch block (pictured below at right),
you will need 1 sub-cut strip from each of strip set “A” and 1 sub-cut strip
from set “B”. The unfinished 9 patch block will measure 9.5". In the
quilt, the finished measurement of this quilt block will be 9"
Rules for swaps:
1.
Please
make sure that you use “quilt shop” quality fabrics. Everyone’s budget is different, and fabrics
purchased at a non-quilt shop can be perfectly fine. If you can hold it up and see who is raiding
the cookie jar, or read through it, it is too thin. Please use only 100% cotton fabric you would
like to receive. (no flannel, etc.)
2.
Before sewing please make one block and check
your quarter inch seam and whether it will allow the ironed block to actually
be 9 ½” unfinished. Adjust your seam
allowance if necessary. For new quilters, an unfinished block is the size of
the block before it is sewn to any additional blocks. A finished block (in this case 9”) is the
size of the block after sewing it into the quilt top.
3.
Please make sure your blocks get to the guild by
the April swap date. If you are not
going to be attending this meeting, you can:
a.)
bring them to the March meeting, b.) drop them
off with another guild member who will be attending the April meeting, or c.)
drop them off at the shop for them to hold for us ( I will have to call and
make sure this is ok)
4.
Place all 16 blocks in a large Ziploc bag with
your name on it and if you are in the AM or PM guild group. This is how you will get your blocks back at
the end of the meeting, or for those in the morning group they will be at the
shop or at the next meeting whichever you would prefer, I will give them to President Dorothy to
distribute to the AM group.
Disappearing 9 patch pattern
Disappearing 9 patch variation
Framed 9 patch
Curved 9 patch
Have fun and thanks for joining the swap.
-Peggy Billingsley 469-744-2758 p_billingsley@yahoo.com
