Week 3- August 29, 2016
Double Nine Patch
In order to create a double nine patch, we need to know what a nine patch is first. it is a block that contains a 3 x 3 grid. Normally there is a combination of light and dark fabrics. Here is an example of the basic nine patch block.
Notice how there are nine “patches” that are the same size. There is a combination of light yellow with the dark navy blue. The yellow is forming a cross and the navy is forming an “x” in the middle. All of these patches can be anywise, but typically they are divisible by 3, so the overall block size is usually 6, 9 or 12 inches. This block is popular with beginning quilters as it involves straight sewing and matching of a couple of seams. It is also an easy block to select color fabrics as you only need two, consisting of a light and dark. This block also makes a great scrap quilt as each of the navy squares in the example could be a different piece of fabric. This is also an easy jelly roll quilt as to contract the blocks, you sew 2.5″ strips of dark, light, dark together and strips of light, dark, light together and then cut them at 2.5″ intervals. Then you take two of the dark, light, dark units and piece them together with a light, dark, light unit in the middle. Here is what a quilt would look like using this block, and then using the block alternating with plain navy squares.
Just like the four patch, the nine patch has been around a long time time, probably dating back to the early 1800’s. It was popular with the early American pioneers as it was a portable sewing project. You just had to sew tiny scraps together and back then, they had to do it by hand. This block was popular to teach young pioneers how to sew. Nine patch is also a construction style as each of the nine patches could have sewn patchwork within them. The double nine patch is a double entandre as it is a nine patch construction of nine patches, but five of the patches (the ones that form the “x” in the middle) are also individual nine patch blocks. Thus, there are nine patches on a nine patch, or “Double Nine Patch.” Here is an example. Notice the four orange patches forming the cross and the five small nine patches that are forming the “x.”
You can get creative with the nine patches and play with different color combinations such as we did with the placement of the green squares in the middle. This block is starting to look more complicated, but it really isn’t as it utilizes the same construction, only the patches are a little smaller in the small nine patches and you have to be more careful when sewing those smaller pieces together. This block creates a great chain effect when placed into a quilt, like the example below.
You can get really creative with this block by setting it on point, which literally means setting the block on its points, and combining it with a playful alternating fabric. Here is a quilt created in this manner, which I call “Spinning Into Fall.”
Next week, our block of the week will be Jacob’s Ladder, which is another block that is created with nine patch construction, and we will introduce half square triangles.
