The Nine Patch Series
The Nine Patch Series
Full Size Bed Quilts using the Nine Patch Block
Created by Betty Reynolds
This is a series of quilts which demonstrates the versatility of the
basic nine patch quilt block. All blocks are six inches square and are
either set on point or square.
The series started with an exchange of 8" Christmas fabric charms in
the fall of 1994. I exchanged charms with 11 other quilters
including Dawn Scotting of Auckland, New Zealand. Dawn and I struck
up an internet friendship and exchanged about 20 different fabrics.
I decided to make my charms into nine patch blocks, sometimes setting
the Christmas fabrics into the outer corners and center and sometimes
into the other four positions. All blocks are put together with an
off-white, crystal print and are set square alternating with six inch
blocks cut diagonally using a green leaf print and a white printed with
tiny Santa faces. The effect of the finished Christmas quilt is of very strong
diagonals. For the back, I used "pillow prints" of Mr. and Mrs. Polar
Bear dressed in Christmas finery set square with red sashing. The
quilt is essentially reversible. (Sorry, no picture of the back yet)
Dawn Scotting was so enthralled with her first exchange experience that
she organized the "Nine Patch Exchanges". Dawn doesn't do things in a
small way--she set up a different color exchange for each month during
1995. Some participants signed up for all the exchanges; others
participated month to month. What an organizing task this must have been
to keep all the participants on task.
I participated in three of these exchanges: Metallics, Blue, and
Christmas. The nine patch blocks for the metallic exchange had to include a
metallic print set in the corners and center and a coordinating solid (or
near solid) set in the other four positions. I set my nine patches on
point alternating with a snowball block consisting of a white on
unbleached muslin snowball and a red/green/orange/burgundy metallic
leaf print as setting corners.
The quilt has two borders of additional two inch metallic blocks and is
bound with more two inch metallic patches. I have since finished quilting
this quilt. If you look closely at the photo of the
unfinished quilt you'll see the center of the quilt is quilted. The back of
this quilt is the unbleached muslin used in the snowballs and outer borders.
My next nine patch exchange was of blue blocks. I made this quilt
for my sister Sally in 1996. I set the blocks on point using two inch
wide sashing and a variety of two
inch setting blocks. This is a fun scrap quilt because all the fabrics
are different and many contain fun pictures. The back of this quilt
is the same fabric as the outer border and binding.
My next nine patch exchange was of more Christmas blocks which I made
into a quilt for my sister Jeri. This is a picture of the pieced top before I started the quilting. I set
the blocks in the "Oklahoma Nine Patch" setting--square with a
sashing which produces a star effect. Because Jeri uses this
quilt throughout the winter months she reduced the "Christmas" effect by
selecting a dark green with pink flower print and a pink tone-on-tone
for the sashing and border. The back is the same dark green of
the sashing.
I fully intended the second Christmas quilt to be the last of the Nine
Patch Series, but then I participated in the periwinkle
blue Irish Chain Exchange (ICE winkies) The resulting quilt has dark
blocks in the center shading to light around the outside.
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This page is maintained by
Betty B. Reynolds
Last updated October 29, 2001
