This is a static export of a blog I put on ice many years ago, that still has personally relevant content. No promises can be made around linkrot, styles, or working functionality.
For those who missed the explanation the first time around, this is a monthly block meetup at my LQS. Every year, they choose a theme for the 12 monthly blocks, and this yearās is āRoad Trip.ā We meet up the last Sat. of the month, learn how to make the block, and are given precut strips to complete it with. They chose to do this one out of batiks.
At the end of April, we hopped back on the Road (to Oklahoma City)ā¦
ā¦which isnāt quite Road to Oklahoma, and is likely another Jacobās Ladder variant. This block taught me to measure the pre-cut strips before cutting off the required pieces. Two of mine were about 1⁄8″ short of the length needed for all the pieces. Since Iād started cutting the first one without measuring, I didnāt realize until the last two squaresāso I had to be careful sewing with 1⁄8″ seam allowances for those. The other strip, I was able to cut the pieces about 1⁄16″ shortānot enough to badly throw off my piecing, and enough to squeeze it all in over the length of the strip.
In May, we jumped over to the East Coast, warming up on the Philadelphia Pavementā¦
ā¦which is very simple to make.
And June brought us back down to the South for Alabama.
ā¦a block that I canāt seem to get to lay flat. Mine is a bit lumpy, but it can be quilted out. I think I was subconsciously using a scant ¼″ seam, which didnāt work out well.
Iām still thinking about layouts and such. I thought I had a great one (it looks awesome in my head), but when I try to mock it up, it just doesnāt look right. So, who knows. I have plenty of time to mull it over.
I have started a labelā¦ but you only get a sneak preview so far.
Stay tuned for the next installment in mid/lateāOctober!
Iāve been in love with Curious Natureāand every quilt Iāve seen made with itāsince it was released this past Spring. When the ebook Geared for Guys started making rounds, and Julie of Jaybird Quilts showed us the āGamerā quilt, I was inspired with the perfect project for Curious Nature.
See, Carl just turned the big three-oh. Heās having a bit of an existential crisis about it, and we all know how cuddling under a hand-made quilt can help with that. But, heās not a gamer (we have a Game Cubeā¦ somewhereā¦ that gets used for Mario Kart maybe once a year). He is a cyclist, so I give you āCyclistā:
It is larger than Gamer: around 70ā³ square (because there are more letters and because he likes square lap quilts). The background is Quilterās Linen in Charcoal. (more…)
The disappearing nine-patch is my new favorite block. Itās so simple to make, but looks like you pieced together a ton of small squares and rectangles. Great effect with minimal effortāmy kind of thing.
Take these, for example. Just some basic nine-patchesāall the same.
Then, they are cut into quarters.
And sewn back together into a four-patch.
To become all of these!
See? Simple-looks-complicated. Lovely.
Math
If you donāt want to do the calculations, hereās a table of sizes:
Starting square sizes and corresponding disappearing nine-patch block sizes
Starting Square
Finished Block
Common precut sizes are bolded
1ā³
1ā³
1.5ā³
2.5ā³
2ā³
4ā³
2.5ā³
5.5ā³
3ā³
7ā³
3.5ā³
8.5ā³
4ā³
10ā³
4.5ā³
11.5ā³
5ā³
13ā³
5.5ā³
14.5ā³
6ā³
16ā³
6.5ā³
17.5ā³
10ā³
28ā³
Unfortunately, some common block sizes, like 6ā³, 8ā³, and 12ā³, end up requiring the starting squares be cut to third-inches, so I didnāt include them above. You could try rounding up to the nearest eighth, and use a generous Ā¼ā³ seam for the nine-patch piecing (and back to an exact seam for the four patch)āif youāre adventurous and arenāt concerned about absolutely perfect points.
Otherwise, the math isnāt that hard for these once you know how to do it.
To calculate final size from your starting squares
Example using 3ā³ squares.
Short answer: (Square Size Ć 3) ā 2ā³ Example: 3ā³ times 3 equals 9ā³; 9ā³ minus 2″ equals 7ā³. 3ā³ squares make a 7ā³ disappearing nine-patch block.
Long answer:
Add together a row of squares. Example: 3ā³ times 3 pieces (a row) equals 9ā³
Subtract the row seams (Ā½ā³ per seam, two seams). Example: 9ā³ minus 1ā³ equals 8ā³
Subtract the four-patch disappearing seams (Ā½ā³ per seam, one seam). Example: 8ā³ minus .5ā³ equals 7.5ā³
Subtract your final piecing seams for the finished size. Example: 7.5ā³ minus .5ā³ equals 7ā³ finished block
To calculate starting squares from finished block size
Example needing 5.5ā³ finished block.
Short answer: (Finished Size + 2ā³) Ć· 3 Example: 5.5ā³ plus 2ā³ equals 7.5ā³; 7.5ā³ divided by 3 equals 2.5ā³. 2.5ā³ squares make a 5.5ā³ disappearing nine-patch block.
Long answer:
Add your piecing seams to the finished size. Example: 5.5ā³ plus .5ā³ equals 6ā³ unfinished block
Add your four-patch seams (Ā½ā³ per seam, one seam). Example: 6ā³ plus .5ā³ equals 6.5ā³
Add your nine-patch seams (Ā½ā³ per seam, two seams). Example: 6.5ā³ plus 1ā³ equals 7.5ā³
Divide by 3 to get your individual square size. Example: 7.5ā³ divided by 3 equals 2.5ā³ starting squares
Have fun with your own disappearing nine-patches! Let me know what you make, Iād love to see it.
The end is in sight (albeit close to a month late)!
And, this evening I will be seeing both Seven Nations and Enter the Haggis play live.
These two things make me immeasurably happy.
In other news I changed my template around, so now the blog is a bit more blog-like, for your perusing ability, and the homepage has a slideshow of finished projects. Enjoy!
Itās time to get back to work on the Steampunk costume, donāt you think? The first step is finishing up the corset, since it is the base of all the other top-layer items. Iāve picked apart the drill mockup so that I can use those pieces for interlining/strength, and now Iām ready to cut into the fashion fabric and actually construct the final corset.
The problem is, I canāt decide what to make it out of. Iām sticking to fabrics I already own (and own in enough quantity). The fittings are gold/brass, so it all needs to match that, too. (more…)
Iām still working on quilting Carlās gift. Iām trying to work on denser quilting (when called for), but the tradeoff is that it is taking hours and hours to do, and my non-ergonomic space means my back can only take so much at a time. I think I hit the official 2ā3 finished point last night. In the mean time, here is another quick project I made recently. This was another class at the Viking Gallery sometime in June, but I just finished hand-sewing down the binding last night.
Weāve been doing a lot of work on the house, but we clearly havenāt gotten around to sanding and repainting the porchā¦
It is a case for a travel ironābe it for quilting/crafting or hair styling. The trick is that it has a layer of Insul-Bright so that you can put the hot iron in the pouch and goāno need to wait for it to cool down. (more…)
I needed a break from quilting my latest project, so I packed up my machine and went to a class at the local Viking Gallery. We made this simple zippered travel wallet.
For various reasons, I havenāt been doing much sewing since my last post. Yesterday, I finally got back in the sewing room to finish up a quilt top Iāve been working on. Unfortunately, Iām about two weeks behindā¦ I had hoped to finish the quilting by tomorrowābound and all.
But, my delay doesnāt change the rush I felt last night when this crazy plan of mine all came together correctly. Youāre just going to have to wait a bit before you can see the finished project. Moof is a great sneak peak guard. (more…)
Yesterday, I turned 26. I donāt recall ever thinking about myself at 26 when I was youngerāI donāt tend to imagine myself at such-and-such age in the future. But, I am pretty confident that my teenage self wouldnāt have imagined me quite like this.
I live in New York, and didnāt return to the Midwest after graduating college.
Carl and I have been together for five years come August. We own a house. And a dog. And things like bedroom furniture.
Iāve determined that my mom can no longer blame me for her grey hairs, because I found one the other day and I donāt have kids to blame.
I quilt. Iām addicted to quilting and making other things with fabric. July marks two full years that Iāve been quilting, although Iāve been sewing for probably 20 or more, now. (more…)
