To the Point!

Give your basic setting block option an Art School Graduate look by turning the blocks on point!

On point settings are not complicated, you simply assemble the quilt in diagonal rows instead of straight ones. We are going to use the same 8 block by 10 block layout and alternate the nine patch blocks with solid squares of the fabric of your choice. Once again, the black squares indicate the setting squares in my design wall photo.

I want to encourage you to think about your quilting design before you select the fabric for your setting blocks. If you plan to use a simple all over quilting design, then a print fabric like a floral or multi color print to compliment your 9 patch blocks will be beautiful. If you want your 9 patch blocks to really make a statement, select a fabric that has a more solid look. Then fill those blocks with knock-your-socks-off quilting!

You may have seen my Desert Nine Patch quilt that was featured in a full page ad in several quilting magazines. Keepsake Quilting is offering a kit for it (so are we on our website.) I created the 9 patch top, but the quilt was really brought to life with the quilting that was done by Maryjane Efstathiou of Thistles & Thimbles. Those solid squares gave Maryjane the perfect place to show off her talent - to rave reviews!mailto:thistlesandthimbles@msn.com

If you look closely you will notice that not all of my solid squares are the same color. To make the quilt more interesting, I chose 2 shades of off white, Straw and Parchment, and alternated them in the setting blocks. I made that decision before constructing any of the 9 patch blocks, so I was also able to make the light blocks in the 9 patches coordinate with the setting blocks. Parchment against Parchment and Straw against Straw - after all I AM an Art School Graduate!

Now before things get even more complicated, lets get going on the instructions!

ON POINT SETTING

68" BY 85"

Materials:

80 nine patch blocks

3 yards for setting squares

2/3 yard binding

4 1/4 yards backing

Cutting Instructions

From the setting square fabric cut:

11 strips 6 1/2 inches

From these strips cut 63 squares measuring 6 1/2"

3 strips 10", cross cut these strips into 9 squares measuring 10 inches

Cut these squares diagonally twice to yield 4 triangles from each square for your side setting triangles

Cut 2 squares 6 inches and cut both in half, diagonally one time to yield 2 triangles from each square. These will be your corner triangles.

Instructions:

1. Arrange the 9 patch blocks in 10 rows of 8 blocks each, having each block on point. Fill in the center spaces with the setting squares. Fill in the outer edges using the large triangles. Place the smaller triangles on each corner.

2. Stitch the rows together diagonally beginning in one corner. Take care to orient the side triangles in the proper direction on each end of the pieced row. Press the seams in each row in the opposite direction of the previous row.

3. Stitch the rows together to form the completed quilt top. Press,

The setting triangles are cut to size, but the corner triangles are a bit over sized. Trim the corner triangles as needed.

Tomorrow we will cover sashing options!

Easy Sewing + Fabric Stash = Great Project

Are you making 9 Patch blocks?

If you aren't familiar with the project you can scroll down through my blog posts and read about where the idea originated from and how the whole thing works. It is a simple concept and everyone is welcome to join the fun. There is nothing to buy and no "rules" to follow, all you need to do is make one 9 patch block each day from now (by "now" I mean today, the day you are reading this) until August 20th. Those of us that started on June 1st will have about 80 completed blocks by the end of the summer. If you started a bit later, you can either get caught up by making more blocks per day or make a smaller quilt! The blocks can be any size and I suggest that they be made from your fabric stash. If you want to join the Facebook group, log on to Facebook and search 9 Patch Project, we would love to have you!

I have chosen to make 6 inch blocks that start with 2 1/2 inch squares. Some of the almost 700 Facebook participants are starting to worry about how they are going to put these blocks together. Personally, I think it is a bit soon to start fretting over setting ideas, I'm still enjoying the gorgeous colors of the batiks that I am using. I do realize that some people like to plan. Others are wondering how many blocks they need to make to make the project queen size and how much border fabric they need....

My advice - relax! Enjoy the process! On the other hand, maybe dreaming about the finished project is the part of the process you enjoy....

Later in the summer I will be providing sashing and border suggestions for the blocks, but I thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the other setting options in finished quilts.

Karen Snyder has this beautiful 9 patch quilt featured on her blog. You can read her post about "leaders and enders" at:

http://annalenaland.com/ .

This quilt is obviously set on point and has 13 rows of 13 nine patches. If you do the math, this quilt requires 169 nine patch blocks - that is a little more than double the number that we will have by making one per day! For those of you that are looking for a large quilt (Assuming that those are 6" finished blocks, this quilt would measure 110" square) you will need to kick things into high gear and start making at least TWO blocks each day. (If you aren't familiar with bed sizes, I consider 110" as a generous queen or a skimpy king.) This would be a great project for the over achievers in the group!

One of the things that makes 9 Patches so irresistable is that they can look so totally different! Believe it or not this quilt, my Daybreak pattern, is also a 9 patch project! The blocks are sewn side-by-side without sashing to create the overall pattern. I used solid batiks for the Daybreak quilt, but I have customers that have translated the color chart in the pattern into prints and even packed florals for a watercolor look - beautiful! The pattern is available on our website at http://www.thequiltcompany.com/ and you may also have seen it featured in the Hancocks of Paducah catalog.

Now I'm off to finish my husbands Father's Day gift... it is not a quilt, just a bit of custom framing!

The Nine Patch Challenge

I spent Saturday evening with a few quilting friends. We weren't quilting, Pam hosted a "Girls Movie Night". It was a great opportunity to relax and laugh with friends. It was also my first chance to see Pam's wonderfully creative new home. The movies were fun, the food and wine were both enjoyable and the conversation delightful. There is nothing like getting together with "girls", no matter what your age.

Part of the conversation revolved around the summer quilting project that they are all involved in. This is the second year for the project and Jeannie, the ring leader for this event, has just announced this years details. I didn't participate lst year, but I wish that I had. I was totally captivated watching the process unfold over the summer. It was amazingly simple, yet viral at the same time.

Here are the details in a nutshell:

Browsing the Internet, Jeannie had read a blog where the blog owner had decided to ask her friends to join her in making one nine patch block each day for a specific period of time. (I'm pretty sure it was Crazy Quilting Mom's blog that started this whole thing). Just one block. The idea was that one block a day is do-able, not stressful and a simple nine patch is super easy. After about a month and a half they would have enough blocks for an entire quilt making just one block per day.

Jeannie suggested to her small circle of quilting friends that they make this their summer project. One nine patch per day, in any size, for the summer. She would then host a picnic at her home in August for show-and-tell to see what they had accomplished. Her quilting buddies thought it was a great idea. In fact they thought it was so good that they each told a few friends. Those friends agreed and told a few more friends. The nine patch project had gone viral.


As the local shop owner, very early in the summer I saw customers in the shop meeting each other before classes and clubs to show and share nine patch blocks. A few participants decided to use 1930's fabrics and make several identical blocks and then swap with friends. I was constantly overhearing conversations about how many blocks were finished, who was playing catch up and who was forging ahead. More than once customers heard each other discussing the project and were surprised to find out that others were participating. Nobody but Jeannie really had any idea how many people were at home making blocks!

Everyone involved was having great fun, using up their stash and enjoying being part of the secret club. A few people even stuck to the one-per-day mandate. Most played catch-up and made the entire weeks blocks in one evening or on the weekends. Some procrastinated and performed marathon sewing sessions so that they were not embarrassed at the end of the season picnic. Naturally there was one over achiever in the group. Bonnie actually produced EIGHT beautiful nine patch quilts made from fabrics in her stash.

The project was so popular and had grown in size so that the picnic had to be moved from Jeannie's house to a pavilion at the local community park! From what I heard and the photos I saw the project was a rousing success.

Now I am considering recreating the project right here on this blog. Do any of my virtual friends want to come out and play?

If you are interested - no more lurking! You have to post a comment letting me know that you want to participate. No pressure, I just want to know how many of you are playing along. I will post the details so that we can get started on June 1st.

I will happily provide simple setting instructions for those of you that need them. Then in August I will host a virtual quilt show so that you can show off your blocks or quilt or quilts that you have accomplished!

The quilt photos that accompany this post are quilts that were completed during the original 9 patch project online. Feeling inspired?

One simple nine patch per day - easy!

Post a comment by clicking on the "comment" button below this post. You can be anonymous if you like, but let me know what appeals to you about this project. Is it the one block per day? Is it the group event? Is it the idea of using up your stash or because it is easy? I'm fascinated by the appeal of this project. Of course if nobody agrees to participate online then I will know that the real appeal is the end of summer picnic!