Nifty Nines Quilt-Along - The Simplest Quilt Ever!

Hi, all!

Welcome to Week Three of the Nifty Nines Quilt-Along!  I hope you've been following along, but if this is your first visit, here's a recap of the previous two weeks...

Lattice Play was our first week's quilt...

Followed by Time For Chevrons!

Both quilts feature nine-patch blocks, as does this week's quilt - but this week's quilt is probably one of the fastest, simplest quilts you'll ever make!  

I think I'll call this one the 

Easy Peasy Giant Disappearing Nine-Patch Quilt!

Now, if you're unfamiliar with a disappearing nine-patch block (also known as a D9P), it's really simple.  First you make a basic nine-patch block, and then you cut it up and sew it back together in a different pattern.  It's a great way to make a simple quilt that looks a lot more complicated than it is!  

The quilt top in this picture literally took two and a half hours, from picking out the fabric squares to hanging it on the line for pictures!

There are lots of different designs for D9P blocks, but this quilt is made with one of the most basic designs, just really large.  Here's the tutorial for this quilt!  

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Nifty Nines Quilt-Along

Easy-Peasy Giant Disappearing Nine-Patch

Size:  approximately 57” x 71”

All seams are 1/4”

Fabric Requirements:

45 10” x 10” squares.  

This is a great pattern to use a layer cake (just add 3 coordinating fabric squares to make up the full 45 squares) or to showcase beautiful large-print fabrics.

Block Construction:

For each oversized nine-patch block, select nine 10” print squares.  On a flat surface, arrange the squares into three rows of three squares, with any fabrics that you want to be dominant in the quilt in the four corners of your block, as those fabrics will remain uncut at the cutting stage.

To piece the block, first sew the squares into three rows.  Press the seams to one side, pressing in the opposite direction for the center row.  Sew the three rows together to create your 9-patch blocks.  Press these seams toward the center, then press the block and set it aside.  Repeat the process, making a total of five blocks.

Cut the blocks into quarters by cutting in half from top to bottom, then side to side.  (Because of the large size of the blocks, it’s easiest to find the center by measuring the center row of blocks, dividing by two and cutting that far from the side seam of the middle row.  If you have sewn an accurate 1/4” seam, that measurement should be 4.75”.)

Arrange your new, smaller blocks into five rows of four blocks apiece.  

Sew the rows, pressing the seams in opposite directions.  Then sew the rows together, nesting the seams for matching corners.   Press the entire quilt top.

Voila!  You’re done!!

Credits:  Original pattern by Vivika Hansen Denegre; featured in Modern Patchwork 2012

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I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I do - it's great for pulling a quilt together quickly, and looks wonderful in batiks or large-scale prints. I'm also contemplating making several using some old-fashioned floral fabrics we have in the ministry stash - I think they'll blend well together!  Please share any quilts you make using this pattern or any of the Nifty Nines in the Flickr group!  And if you'd like a PDF of the pattern mailed to you, leave your email address in a comment below and I'll send it to you!

Are you getting inspired and motivated for the Hands2Help Challenge?  It's only a month away!! I do hope you'll join in the fun as we make quilt-y hugs for people in need....

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And as I sat writing this post, my lovely eldest granddaughter was sitting beside me.  She looked at my blog and wistfully said, "I used to be on your blog all the time."  Realizing she was right, and she hadn't been on there in a while, I snapped this picture so she could be on my blog once again!

She sure has changed since her first appearance on my blog, back in January of 2010...

(And isn't my daughter just gorgeous?)

See you next week for the fourth Nifty Nines quilt!!

Hugs!

Sarah