THE DISAPPEARING NINE - PATCH QUILT 🌼 🌼 🌼

This Disappearing Nine-Patch Quilt was featured in Modern Patchwork Magazine.  It was designed by Lisa Swenson Ruble.  I made this quilt for my great-niece, Karli.  

I have made this quilt before for my nephew's wedding with one big difference ... I quilted his quilt at my local quilt shop using their longarm and Q-Matic computer.  Since then, I have gotten my own longarm, although without the Q-Matic computer.  I honestly just love the art of quilting and doing it myself, not relying on a computer to do it for me. So, this time around I quilted this pattern myself.  

The trick to a disappearing nine-patch is to stitch three rows of three squares into a block.  This is called a nine patch.  Then you cut that block into four equal squares leaving you with something completely different than what you started with.  This is why they say the nine patch disappears. It adds a little twist to one of the quilt world's most basic blocks.

This quilt starts with 190 five inch blocks. This fabric line is called Morning Walk and is designed by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery Fabrics.

First you sew nine fabric squares together to make a nine patch block. And then you cut that square into quarters.

Then you take those quarters and randomly arrange them.  I did this with all twenty squares.  Then I added sashing in between the quarters to create ten rows. 

I added sashing between the ten rows and then sewed on the four borders to complete the quilt top.  

A word about random placement.  I never do things completely randomly even when a pattern calls for random placement. What I do is to try to locate the stand out colors and make sure that they get represented in all parts of the quilt top.  I think that this is more pleasing to the eye.  And I make sure that no color is next to itself.  Just that little bit of interference makes a nice difference. 

Once the quilt top was together I loaded it on the longarm.  I floated the quilt top instead of rolling the top onto the bar.  I used my Grace Company Quilt Clips to give the top some tension as I quilted it.  

Do you know what I do?  I take large pieces of fabric, cut them into tiny pieces of fabric and then stitch them back together into a large piece of fabric.  Hmmmm.  Sounds counterproductive, right?  But actually it's a little bit of magic ... 

I hope Karli enjoys her quilt!  Remember to pick up a needle and thread and sew some love into your world ❣️