I just had an email from one of my newsletter subscribers reminding me of a speedy way to make nine-patches.  I’d seen it done years ago, and forgotten all about it.  With this method, you get two nine-patches at a time.  How perfect for our Summer Nine-Patch Project! Now you can make two blocks a day faster than making one block the traditional way.  That means you’ll either end up with twice as many blocks, or you’ll only have to sew every other day!  Thanks, Peggy, for the reminder.

Here’s a tutorial on how to make the Two-For-One Nine-Patch blocks.  The example is for a 9″ finished block, but at the end of the tutorial, I’ll give you the formula (and chart) so you can make any size block you want.

1.  Layer a light and dark fabric, right sides together, and cut a 10-1/2″ square.

2. Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, join the squares together on two opposite sides.

3. Take the to your cutting board and measure in 3-1/2″ from one stitched side.  Cut.

4. Measure in 3-1/2″ from the other stitched side and cut.  You will have two stitched segments and two unstitched strips.

5. Press the stitched segments toward the dark fabric.  Add a contrasting strip to one side of each block.

6. Stitch and press toward the dark fabric.

7. Place the two segments right sides together with the seams running in the same direction.  If you pressed everything toward the dark fabric, the seams will nest together.

8. Now stitch together across the previously made seams.  Stitch both opposite sides.

9. Cut 3-1/2″ from each seamed edge.

10. Press toward the side with the most dark fabric.  Add the unstitched strips to the pieced segments, dark to light.

11. Voila!  You have two mirror image blocks!

Here’s the formula for cutting the squares.  Take the size of the strip that you would cut for a regular nine-patch block and multiply times 3–it’s that simple.  In our example, we would have cut strips 3-1/2″, so 3-1/2″ x 3 is 10-1/2″, the size of our square.

Here’s a chart to make it a little easier.  Block sizes given are for finished blocks.

For 3″ blocks, start with a 4-1/2″ square

For 4-1/2″ blocks, start with a 6″ square

For 6″ blocks, start with a 7-1/2″ square

For 9″ blocks, start with a 10-1/2″ square

For 12″ blocks, start with a 13-1/2″ square

Have fun and be sure to join the Facebook group and post pictures of your blocks!

Sign up for my email newsletter at annalena.com.

If you’re like me, it can be hard to find time to sew in the summer when there are so many distractions.  Well, this summer, why don’t you join The Nine-Patch Project?

What’s the Nine-Patch Project?  There really are no rules.  It’s just a commitment to make one nine-patch block each day this summer!  If you do this from June 1 through August 31, you’ll have 92 nine-patch blocks at the end of summer!

What size should they be?  Make your nine-patches any size you want.  Here are the sizes of squares to cut for various sized blocks:

Cut 1 1/2″ squares for 3″ Blocks
Cut 2″ squares for 4 1/2″ Blocks
Cut 2 1/2″ squares for 6″ Blocks
Cut 3 1/2″ squares for 9″ Blocks
Cut 4 1/2″ squares for 12″ Blocks

What fabric should I use?  Anything goes.  Use all the same fabric, use up strips and squares from your stash.  Surely you must have some.  You can be color controlled or completely scrappy.  You can do light/dark, dark/light, you can use two colors in each block or you can use nine different fabrics in each block.  It’s up to you.

What if I miss a day?  Make two the next!  Miss a week, make seven next week.  C’mon, they’re nine-patches.  Nothing could be easier!  This is a no-stress, anything goes project meant to be nothing but fun.

There’s even a Facebook page where you can sign up to join the fun.  9-Patch Project at Facebook here.  You can post pictures of your blocks and be inspired by the pictures others post.  Several of my web  friends are involved in this project, and in the end, we’ll give you some ideas for setting your blocks together.  Don’t overlook the power of the nine-patch!

Here’s a vintage nine-patch quilt that’s in my collection.  Very scrappy, but every center is yellow.

Here’s my version of the above quilt, just using orange for my centers and setting the blocks on point.

Here’s a controlled scrappy that I saw on the internet.  Again, all the centers are the same.

Here’s another on-point version made by Marla.

I sure hope you’ll join in the fun!

Amy at Park City Girl is having another online quilt show.  I LOVE these.  I love going to all the links and seeing all the quilts.  And I want to play along, too.

Click here to see all the quilts in the show.

This is my Lollipop quilt.  I made it from the fabrics in my Sweet Pea collection.  I just love the bright colors and all the balloons.

Just now, when I went to my photo files to retrieve the photos, I realize I took pictures to do a tutorial about how to make the blocks, but had never posted it, so here goes!

First, I traced the pattern onto paper with a Sharpie pen.  That way, I could see it through the fabric and didn’t have to mark the fabric at all.  I used the iron on bias tape, and pressed it into place.  Once it was secure, I did a serpentine stitch down the length of each one.

I wasn’t looking forward to preparing a gazillion circles for applique, but it wasn’t bad at all.  My method is to cut a circle out of a manilla folder.  Then, I cut the fabric circle about a half inch bigger.  An acrylic template and a 28mm rotary cutter makes it easy.

I just did a running stitch around the outer edge of the fabric circle, placed the paper circle in the middle and pulled the thread.  Voila!  a perfect circle.

It was just a manner of pressing it to get a nice, crisp edge and popping out the paper.

Then I put the block back on the pattern to find the placement of the balloons.

I machine buttonholed around the circles on my Elna 7300.

When doing embroidery of applique, I always start with my background a little larger than needed, so I had to square up when done.

It wasn’t long before I was cranking out the blocks!

Here’s a link to the free download of this pattern.  If you make one, please send me a picture!

Does it get any cuter than this!

This is the panel from my new Sweet Pea line.  I made the Lollipop quilt for the booth at Market, but I wanted to show off the dress panel as well.  I didn’t have much time, and I knew there wouldn’t be a lot of room in the booth (with the Lollipop quilt and the jumper already there) so I went simple–real simple.  I cut one row off the panel, added a one inch wide white border and prairie points!  

I think prairie points are such a great finish for a quilt, and they’re really very easy.  What!?!  You haven’t tried them?  Here’s a simple lesson.

Cut some 4″ squares from a variety of fabrics.  Fold each square in half diagonally once, then once again.  (That would be twice for those of you who are counting!)  Press.

Now lay your prairie points along one edge of the quilt.  Start at one corner, pin a pp in place.  Tuck the next pp inside the last one a little ways, and pin again.  Continue along one side of your quilt until you reach the other end.  You may have to adjust a bit as you get to the end so they are all tucked in about the same.  Don’t sweat over this, just eyeball it.   I used 14 on the long sides and 11 on the short sides.  

Sew them down.  I used a little more than a 1/4″ for this.  Do all four sides.  

Now go ahead and quilt the top.  I know the little points are laying on the top, just be careful and don’t quilt over them.  In fact, you want to stop your quilting about an inch from the edges.  When the quilting is done, trim the batting and backing even with the top of the quilt.

Now, since you didn’t quilt that outer inch, you should be able to separate the three layers of your quilt like this.

Carefully fold the backing under the quilt, and fold the quilt top back, leaving just the inch of batting on the cutting board.  Very carefully trim away about a 1/4″ of the batting.  If you’re too nervous to do this with your rotary cutter, you could do it with a pair of scissors.  

Once you’ve trimmed all four sides, press the backing fabric under 1/4.”

Press the prairie points out.  

Bring the back up to the edge of the stitching a hand stitch in place!  Voila!  You’ve done it!