Basic Disappearing 9-Patch Step one

To make the basic version make a none patch block using four squares of one fabric for the corners,  four squares of a contrast fabric for the side pieces and a single piece of a third fabric for the centre. How you press the seams doesn't matter as they don't have to match up when the blocks meet. However I like to press to whichever fabric I want to highlight and this becomes slightly raised and the other only slightly receded, a subliminal effect.Here I pressed towards the leafy corners and the centre square.

Stripes at right angles to centre square

Stripes parallel to centre square

Note how the stripes are aligned in relation to the centre square, either all parallel or at right angles.
  Next cut the block in half vertically and horizontally. Try not to let it shift between cuts. To ensure my cuts are are even I like to use two rulers to measure from both sides at once then move one ruler away in order to make the  cut.
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Block cut in half vertically and horizontally

Two rulers enable an even cut

Workshop

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Pleased with their handiwork

I spent a day with Castle Wall exploring the possibilities of disappearing nine patches. I took several examples and further experimented with side squares with the same white background as the chickens and butterfly  feature fabrics in the corners. Then warm and cool batiks were place in consistent corners with black in the centre and pale ones at the sides. We didn't have as much time as I should have liked to explore the triangle variation.

Feeling smug

I'm very pleased with myself today as I've attached the two side borders to my Three Score Years and Ten quilt, quilt as you go,  a job I've been putting off. In the end it went quite smoothly. Now to sew up the open seams on the back but that's no hardship. I'm still appliqueing the final border but it's well advanced.

A Piece o' Cake pattern

U3A first New Year meeting

We met to make a disappearing nine patch block but more of this in a later blog.. First there was show and tell of previous work including convergence pieces, diappearing four four patches and a wonderful quilt finish from Bid.

Linda's Convergence cushion

D4P

D4P using a Laura Ashley print

I know this was Pam's

And this Rosemary's

Bid's wonderful sew-a-row quilt for a grandson and reflecting aspects of his life.

Farnham

It was the time for the annual trip to Farnham when traders sell off surplus stock more cheaply. I was pleased to acquire some woven checks from a stash sale stall at a good price and one or two supplies such as flower head pins but my main focus was the upstairs quilt displays and demonstrations by local groups.

Amalgamation by Coral Smith from Katharine
Guerrier stars workshop and Carolyn Forster Quilt as
You go workshop

Christine Vlietsta: Purples in Africa.
There several examples of her beautiful work
all with brilliant use of handstitching.

Neel Williams: Maldives
I have photographed this quilt before admiring the hand dyed fabrics and effective use of
inserts

A detail

Wall hanging version

Fiona Moss: Trip Around the World using Kaffe Fassett fabrics

Bright Stars by Claire Morris, another result of Katharine Guerrier's workshop

A lovely mosaic quilt hanging behind the demonstrators

More group work

Heart cushions

Fabric choices

Quay Quilters made lots of heart cushions for breast cancer patients last night. I have them in my house to deliver to the group member who organises this project as she was ill for the meeting. Lots of people are going down with bad flu at the moment. We also did a fabric sorting exercise. On my own account I finished my quilt from the Skopolos quilt leftovers but now wish I hadn't included the block which is a blot!

My quilt

Dizzy Daisy

I belong to a charity sewing bee and we are each taking turns to choose a block for the others to send in. This is the January one and Gillian requested a pink and a purple one with yellow centres. I enjoyed making them - they were very quick - and look forward to what the next person comes up with.

Completed blocks

Blocks in the making

And on the second day . .

I added the final touches to my Space DNP variation example also possibly destined for Linus though I may put this on my goup sales table as I need to fund my Linus habit. I was very bold and quilted round the seams with a curved line using my quilting hoop as template. I used to do this sort of thing  all the time but lost my nerve as I went on.

Backing

The quilting paatern shows up more on the back.

If it doesn't sell I shall donate it..

Flying Start with Dinosaurs on the back

Faced with dinosaurs on the back

Final Linus Picture play quilt

I had such a big pile of Linus tops and blocks to assemble, sandwich and quilt it was quite daunting. It was very worthwhile but I am glad to have completed th final one, tidying the corners of the facing by hand on New Years Day.

New Year tidy up

Left hand cupboards full of fabric!!!

Horn cabinet folded up

I was getting a lot of bags and boxes piled up which were starting to get me down. I have managed to find places for this stuff and it's lovely to free up floor space.
I've folded up my Horn cabinet and hope someone out there will take it off my hands as I need something more flexible. Meanwhile I'll use a fold up table.  The wonderful table at the far end is staying - it goes up and down at the push of a button so it is good for cutting or for sitting at. a worthwile investment.
I also plan a sewing machine shakeout. I have two trips to come and once I know how my finances are after those I'll start to replace items as I can afford them.

The tall cupboard is crammed with UFO's

Disappearing 9 Patch 03

This  is just a small piece where the side squares of each ninepatch were a different colour while the corner squares are of a consistent alphabet fabric. This quilt was bagged out as it is only 40" square.

A figure of eight pattern emarges

Fabric detail

The back

Disappearing 9 Patch 02

The second quilt I made with Japanese type fabrics was  scrappy and I scattered the quarter blocks throughout. I am more than pleased with this quilt which Maggie Breakspear quilted for me. It's a keeper.

Border detail

Quilting detail

Disappearing 9-Patch 01

This one is the basic three colour version, very wishy washy.

In a Pale Shade

Linus Finish

I am getting to the end of the picture squares Linus Quilt. This one has penguins on the back.

36 x 48"

This is machine faced rather than bound.

Facing from the back sewn down with serpentine stitch.