Block
Size: 10’’
Maybe you are in the same
situation I am. I confess to being a fairly organized quilter, who trims
leftovers down into useable sizes for scrap projects. If anything can be used,
I hate to throw it out! However, after cutting down the remainders of quilt
backings, left over border pieces, odds and ends left from Fat Quarters or
other yardage, and throwing in leftover binding strips...I am overflowing! I
have bins of different sizes of 1 1/2", 2", 2 1/2", 3", and
3 1/2". By FAR the most overflowing is the 2 1/2" bin!
I planned on doing all different 2
tone 9 patches in the block center but since I was using stuff ONLY from the
scrap bin, I decided to pull out all the neutrals I had in there, from white to
tan to use as the background pieces.
I cut these up into piles of 2
1/2" X 6 1/2" rectangles and cutting the rest into 2 1/2"
squares. The one unifying thing I am doing with the blocks is to use all GREEN
as the star points. So I pulled out the greens and cut them all up into sets of
8 matching 2 1/2" squares.
Then I went fishing for
the 9 patch fabrics! You could do this one at a time, or do as I did, spend an
evening playing match up!
9 patches usually involve 2
separate strip sets and make several blocks of one kind. What to do when
piecing one 9 patch block for the block center?
Lay the two 2 ½’’ strips for the 9 patch center with right sides together. Cut these strips 11" long. Then, depending on which fabric is your corner fabric for the 9 patch, cut one extra 2 1/2" square from that fabric.
This is what you need to complete
one block:
(2) 2 1/2"X 11"
strips for 9 patch center + (1) 2 1/2" square for the final corner.
(in this case it's the
yellow square at the top left)
(4) 2 1/2" neutral
squares for block corners
(4) 2 1/2" X 6
1/2" neutral rectangles for block sides
(8) 2 1/2" Squares of
green for the star points.
Now before I go any farther, I
want to tell you about another little trick I'm implementing. I learned a long
time ago to use a scrap piece of fabric to sew on and off of so I don’t have
thread tails everywhere, and it keeps the pieces from being sucked down into
the needle hole.
The first thing you are going to do is stitch your 11" X 2 1/2" rectangles with right sides together, using a scant 1/4" seam allowance and then stitch another pair of leader squares through the machine (if you are doing this along with me) and snip the long strip apart from the leader squares, just behind the presser foot.
Press your strip set with seam allowance going towards the darker fabric. If you started your sewing with a pair of leader squares, press this open to the dark too, and set it aside to match with another pair to be made into a 4 patch.
Lay out your 9 patch center as shown above...using the spare 2 1/2" square to fill in the bottom corner. Assemble by rows into a completed 9 patch. Set it aside.
Star points!
(see my leader squares still leading off and ending each sequence of stitching as I go?)
Place one green 2 1/2" square
on top of one of the 2 1/2" X 6 1/2" rectangles as shown with right
sides together. You can either draw a line from corner to corner on the green
square as a guideline, or if you have been sewing as long as I have, you can
'aim and shoot'.
Now for the other end! This is where it is important to watch which angle you are sewing. We want these points to 'V' from each other. If you sew the second triangle on the diagonal the wrong direction, you'll have a parallelogram for a background instead of a trapezoid.
I've so far made 20 sister's choice blocks. It isn't making a huge dent in the scrap strip bin, but I am really liking how the blocks look when laid out together. The multi-fabric neutral background just gives it so much more depth and interest than just using one fabric.
April 19th, 2004
Here is a close up of the border fabrics I used.
I quilted this quilt with an all over design called "Ground Cover" by Keryn Emmerson.
It worked up so beautiful in an antique tan thread!
Sew Many Quilts Sew Little Time!
i thank you so much bonnie for sharing your life your patteron and the love off quilting .i lve in gaspé quebec and we dont have anything for quilting we half to order away .thank u so much take care love ginette
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog. Not sure how but glad I did!!! I am inprired by this block and more than that by it's name. I have 5 sisters and 3 awesome sister in laws, yeah thats 8. I think that I may just try and make one for each of them probably not bed sized but at least a lap/wallhanging sized.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks and happy quilting!
Cleo
I meant inspired
DeleteBonnie,
ReplyDeleteThis has inspired me to use the "left over" 9 patches from my CHEMO QUILT, I think I have about 25-30 of them. It should make this project go fast... Thank you for all of your beautiful work and sharing you love of quilting with us.
Looking forwardto meeting you in Little Rock,AR on March 13th..
Angela
I love stars and 9 patches. Perfect quilt for me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLOL! 870 people on the Quiltville 'census'! My wee Central Albert hamlet is 470...500 on the voting rolls includes nearby farms. Love being here with you today. Stitching along on an embroidery sampler while you quilt.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fantastic block. I am thoroughly inspired, which is a problem with 15 things already on the to to list
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie, sew glad "I found you"! Live this sister block, do you cut 1 block at a time or a bunch at a time, or just wing it?
ReplyDeleteI am currently working on my 2nd quilt and I'm so very glad that I found this tutorial!! You explained everything perfectly and so easy for this beginner;) Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I am making this quilt for my sister Bonnie. I could not of picked a better for block to make for my special sister. The Sister's Choice Block is fitting for her. She has a king size bed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this pattern. I have been looking for a pattern I could use with my stash. This pattern will be perfect.
ReplyDelete