Scrappy Nine-Patch Quilt

Designer: Alex Anderson

Photographs: Andy Lyons

• 1-1/2 yards total of assorted cream prints for Nine-Patch blocks and pieced border
• 1 yard total of assorted solid reds for Nine-Patch blocks
• 1-1/4 yards total of assorted dark prints for setting squares
• 1/2 yard total of assorted pink and red prints for pieced border
• 1/2 yard of brown print for binding
• 51 x 57 inches of quilt batting

Finished quilt top: 45 x 51 inches

Finished block: 3-inch square

Quantities are for 44/45-inches-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. All measurements include a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut the pieces in the order that follows.

From assorted cream prints, cut:

• 28--3-7/8-inch squares
• 102 sets of five 1-1/2-inch squares

From assorted solid reds, cut:

• 102 sets of four 1-1/2-inch squares

From assorted dark prints, cut:

• 97--3-1/2-inch squares

From assorted red and pink prints, cut:

• 28--3-7/8-inch squares

From brown print, cut:

• 5--2-1/2x42-inch binding strips

1. Referring to Diagram 1, lay out one set of five cream print 1-1/2-inch squares and one set of four solid red 1-1/2-inch squares in three horizontal rows. Sew together the squares in each row. Press the seam allowances toward the solid red squares. Then join the rows to make a Nine-Patch block. Press the seam allowances in one direction. The pieced Nine-Patch block should measure 3-1/2 inches square, including the seam allowances.

2. Repeat Step 1 to make a total of 102 Nine-Patch blocks. Set aside four blocks for the border.

1. Referring to the Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out 98 of the Nine-Patch blocks alternately with the 97 dark print 3-1/2-inch squares in 15 horizontal rows.

2. Sew together the blocks in each row. Press the seam allowances toward the dark print squares. Join the rows to make the quilt center. Press the seam allowances in one direction. The pieced quilt center should measure 39-1/2x45-1/2 inches, including the seam allowances.

1. Use a quilter's pencil to mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the cream print 3-7/8-inch squares. (To prevent the fabric from stretching as you draw the lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under the squares.

2. Layer a marked cream print 3-7/8-inch square atop each red or pink print 3-7/8-inch square. Sew each pair together with two seams, stitching 1/4-inch on each side of the drawn line (see Diagram 2).

3. To save time, chain-piece the layered squares. To chain-piece, machine-sew the pairs together one after the other without lifting the presser foot or clipping threads between pairs. First sew along one side of the drawn lines, then turn the group of pairs around and sew along the other side of the lines (see Diagram 3). Remove the chain-pieced pairs from the sewing machine and clip the connecting threads.

4. Cut each pair apart on the drawn line to make two triangle units (see Diagram 4). Press each triangle unit open to make a triangle-square (see Diagram 5) for a total of 56 triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should measure 3-1/2 inches square, including the seam allowances.

5. Referring to the Quilt Assembly Diagram for placement, sew together 13 triangle-squares to make the top pieced border strip. Note the two directions of the triangle-square seams. Press the seam allowances in one direction. The top pieced border strip should measure 3-1/2x39-1/2 inches, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make the bottom pieced border strip. Sew the pieced border strips to the top and bottom edges of the pieced quilt center. Press the seam allowances toward the border.

6. Sew together 15 triangle-squares to make the left-hand pieced border strip, again noting the two directions of the triangle-square seams. Press the seam allowances in one direction. Add a Nine-Patch block to each end of the left-hand pieced border strip. Press the seam allowances toward the triangle-squares. The pieced border strip should measure 3-1/2 x 51-1/2 inches, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make the right-hand pieced border strip. Sew the pieced border strips to the corresponding edges of the pieced quilt center to complete the quilt top. Press the seam allowances toward the border.

1. Layer the quilt top, batting, and backing.

2. Quilt as desired. The center of the featured project was machine-quilted by Paula Reid in a diagonal grid, with stitching lines spaced 1-1/2 inches apart. The last row of the quilt center and the border were machine-quilted with a 5-inch continuous cable design.

3. Use the brown print 2-1/2x42-inch strips to bind the quilt.