February 24, 2009

Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt

Here it is! My collection of black and white fabrics is now a Disappearing 9 Patch quilt! To tell you the truth, I wasn't crazy about the black and white color scheme, it just isn't me. But I wanted to use colors outside my comfort zone, and I really like how it turned out! My favorite part of the quilting process is taking the finished quilt off my longarm machine because it has become a quilt. That is when I decided I really like this one. I was going to sell it, but it is definitely growing on me!
(Editor's Note: The Disappearing Nine Patch quilt design is not my own, and I do not intend to imply anything more than insight into the fabrics I chose, and how I made it for my own personal use. I did some research before I posted the quilt, and there are several different names, including "9 to 4", "Tossed Nine Patch", and others. Just like many other common quilt designs, there are tutorials and photos of the design on many quilting websites and blogs. This blog is not intended to be downloaded or copied in any way, it is for your personal enjoyment only.)

Now I am going to show you how I made this Disappearing 9 Patch quilt. It looks complicated but it is really easy!! I used darks (black), lights (white), and an accent fabric (red). This quilt is about 62"x84", it is 4 blocks wide and 6 blocks long, for a total of 24 blocks. For each block I used 4 dark squares, 4 light squares, and 1 accent square. I cut my fabric into squares 4-1/2" x 4-1/2". I used a total of 96 dark squares, 96 light squares, and 24 accent squares. Here is a pile of my 4-1/2" black and white squares.
The next step is to sew the 9 Patch block. I made 24 blocks that look like this, with the dark squares in the corners and the accent square in the middle. I didn't worry about what fabric goes where, other than light, dark, and accent, because as you will see it doesn't matter!
And my finished blocks look like this. I made make 24 of these.
This is a traditional 9 Patch block! The next step is to cut each 9 Patch into 4 equal pieces with one horizontal cut and one vertical cut, like this.Now here is where the 9 Patch disappears! I turned two of the blocks, so it looks like this.I sewed the 4 small squares together into a finished block. I ended up with 24 of these blocks. I then sewed them together in rows, 4 blocks wide and 6 blocks long. The blue line shows one block.
Below is what the quilt looks like when the blocks are all sewn together.
As the saying goes, "It's not a quilt until it's quilted!"
This is my Statler Stitcher at work. I chose a quilting design called "Too Much Bubbly". It is a design with lots of little circles, I thought the quilt was busy enough and needed something fairly simple with curves and repetition. I chose red thread to compliment the red accent squares.
I like to put a narrow accent border to frame the quilt, and then a wide border to finish it off. It is like putting a double mat on a picture.
Here is a picture of the back, you can see the quilting design. It is the same fabric that I used for the accent blocks and narrow border on the front, even though Photo Shop changed the color a little ;-) Rather than using black and white on the back, I think it is fun to use a fabric that creates a little bit of a surprise!
Now you know how I made this Disappearing 9 Patch quilt! Here is the finished quilt one more time...

February 17, 2009

Black and White and...

Here is my collection of black and white fabrics. The time has come to make them into a quilt! I have an idea for what I want to make, maybe I will add a splash of color. Stay tuned!

February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is a special day because my longarm machine quilting business is named Valentine Quiltworks! To celebrate, bring me your quilt to be quilted before April 1 and mention my blog, and you will receive free solid color thread (or a discount on variegated thread) on your quilt!

Please visit my website at www.ValentineQuiltworks.com for more information!

February 13, 2009

It's Friday

Friday the 13th. I have always considered it to be a lucky day! But I have one question. Why is there always one lone black sock in my supposedly empty dryer?

February 10, 2009

This Little Light of Mine

There is something mystical about lighthouses. Waves crashing on huge rocks, peaceful sandy beaches, foggy mornings, colorful sunsets. I have visited all of these lighthouses. Each shelf represents a different state. Can you identify all six?

This is a closeup of the lighthouse on the lower right. Do you know where it is?

"We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light." --- Mary Dunbar

February 5, 2009

Elegant Feathered Wholecloth

Here is my first wholecloth quilt, measuring in at 20"x20". The designs were digitized by several different pattern designers, and I put them all together. The precision of the Statler Stitcher is amazing, but the planning, layout, and actual placement of the individual quilting designs came from my creativity!

February 2, 2009

Groundhog Day


Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, so that means 6 more weeks of winter! The groundhog is sitting on a quilt I made with 6 different train fabrics, plus the tracks and the two border prints. It is 52"x70" and is quilted with a swirl design. This quilt is for sale on my website, perfect for keeping a train lover warm!

www.ValentineQuiltworks.com

February 1, 2009

Another Day, Another Dollar

I love my Statler Stitcher, but after almost three years I still have not decided on a name for it. My husband calls it "The Money Machine". Haha, I'll never get rich quilting, but I do enjoy it. So that name is good enough for now.

Novelty prints are a lot of fun. I collected all of the money prints I could find, I think there were six, and made him a quilt for Christmas. I did not want to cut the fabric up too small, so I used a simple Turning Twenty pattern. Technically I guess it is Turning Six ;-)


The quilting design is called Too Much Bubbly, all of the circles remind me of the coins in the fabric. Well, it is not a particularly beautiful quilt, but that was not the goal. I used Quilters Dream wool batting, it is a fun quilt and it keeps him warm.

I enjoy piecing quilts, but I like the quilting process too. That is why I usually make quilts that are not too complicated, so I can get them on the Statler sooner. My favorite part is taking the finished quilt off the machine. It has been transformed from pieces of fabric sewn together, into a quilt!