6. Hidden 9-Patch
I use the "Hidden 9-Patch" name because that's what it feels like to me. The original block (a traditional 9-patch block) has been re-arranged.
In playing around with the idea I've added a couple more patterns to my collection. Some of them I might never had tried if I hadn't been intrigued with the first one I saw in this particular version.
The first step of course was to decide on the size of the finished quilt (36 x 48 plus border). From that, I could decide the block size (12 x 12) and number of blocks (3 blocks wide, 4 blocks long, 12 blocks total).
I've seen version that use 3-color, 4-color, and 5-color combinations, and each produced a completely different look
For my first -- and for the sake of giving you a photo-based look at what I'm doing, I stuck with the 3-color idea.
Think of these three colors as "feature", "background", and a good "pop" color.
Here I'm using the printed pattern with multi-colors as my "feature", and picked a matching solid for the "background". You don't need to stick with solids. But if background and pop have print designs, they look better if they're considerably smaller than the print in your "feature" fabric.
The yardage quantity will change as the size of your choice changes, but the relationship stays constant. For my project the cut strips are 6-1/2" wide.
1 strip POP, 4 strips Background, 4 strips Feature,
plus border, binding, and backing of your choice
The first "set" of strips were cut:
4 each of feature and background, 1 of pop color.Sew strips together as shown here. Make 2 panels each of Feature-Background-Feature And make 1 panel of Background-Pop-Background
Press the seam allowance to the background (press "in" on the feature panels; press "out" on the pop panel). Then cut all panels into strips (mine are 6-1/2" wide strips again).
I laid the newly cut strips in order as they were going to be in the blocks. One reason I love "strip" piecing is being able to sew as much as possible together in a production line -- strips from one pile are sewn to strips from the middle pile until I reach the bottom. Then those pairs are sewn to strips in the 3rd stack to complete the block. Photo on the right is 4 completed 9-Patch blocks.
Then the fun begins!
