This popular block has been around for a long time. It is still a favorite to use up those wonderful scraps of fabric that quilters love to save. The block can be made with random color fabric scraps or only 3 strong colors, used in the same location in all the blocks.

The block I am doing for this blog uses two different Hawaiian print fabrics, one primarily red and the other blue, and black fabric for the center of each block.

When only three contrasting fabrics with no or only small patterns of color are used, a quilt of these blocks will have a very uniform geometric design in both color and shape.

Supplies (per block):
9 fabric squares – all the same size. How many squares in total for each color you will need depends on the finished size you want your quilt to be. The desired finished size of the quilt and the number of blocks in the quilt determines the size and total number of fabric squares of each color.

Instructions:

The basic 9 patch block is sewn with the fabrics arranged similar to the image above. My quilt block colors are different, but you should be able to follow the process.
1. For every block, sew the squares together, keeping the black square in the center and the other squares in the same location, i.e. four of one fabric in the corner positions and the other four in the middle of the outside edges. Make as many nine-patch blocks as you need.

2.  Each block gets cut into 4 smaller pieces. The center square should be cut in half both vertically and horizontally. Measure the center square to locate the cutting lines. Make two cuts  – one vertical and one horizontal in the middle row.
3. The nine-patch block looks like this after it is cut into 4 smaller pieces. NOTE: because the smaller pieces have two new edges with seam allowance, every ‘reassembled’ block will shrink by twice the seam allowance in both height and width. If your quilt MUST be a specific size, you must allow for this shrinkage. This means you need to adjust the size of the patch pieces, and thus the block size to create a ‘reassembled’ block size that meets your needs.
4. Take the upper right and lower left small pieces and turn them 180 degrees. Those small black squares are now at the outer edges of the block. You should rotate the same relative position squares if you want a uniform geometric pattern in your finished quilt.

5. Sew the four small blocks together.
6. Repeat the process for all the blocks you need for your quilt.