What size squares do you cut for a nine patch?
Cut each square at one third of the finished block size plus ½". A 9" block has 3" finished squares, so you cut them at 3½". The ½" is a ¼" seam allowance on each side.
The classic block puts dark squares in the four corners and the center, and light squares in between. You can swap them, with four darks and five lights, for a block that reads as a plus sign.
| Finished block | Square size (cut) | Dark squares | Light squares | Strip width for strip piecing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6" | 2½" | 5 | 4 | 2½" |
| 9" | 3½" | 5 | 4 | 3½" |
| 12" | 4½" | 5 | 4 | 4½" |
How do you strip piece a nine patch?
Strip piecing is faster than sewing single squares. You sew long strips together into a strip set, then cut the set into segments. Each segment is one row of the block, already sewn. With about 42" of usable fabric width, one strip set gives eleven 3½" segments once you straighten the end.
If you want to plan the whole quilt first, the Nine Patch is in the Patchwork Quilt Builder’s block library. Stamp it across the grid and step 5 counts every square for you.
- Cut 3½" strips across the width of the fabric: two dark and one light for strip set A, and one dark and two light for strip set B.
- Sew strip set A in the order dark, light, dark. Sew strip set B in the order light, dark, light.
- Press the seams toward the dark strips in both sets. The seams will then point in opposite directions when you join the rows.
- Straighten one end of each set and cut it into 3½" segments. Each block needs two A segments and one B segment.
- Lay out an A, a B and an A segment. Butt the seams together so they nest, or lock, at each corner. Pin at the seams.
- Sew the three rows together and press the long seams in one direction. The block should measure 9½" square.
How much fabric do you need for a nine patch quilt?
A baby quilt of sixteen 9" nine patches needs ¾ yard of dark and ¾ yard of light. A throw of 42 blocks needs 2 yards of dark and 1½ yards of light. The table gives four sizes, all with every block a nine patch and no plain blocks between them.
These amounts come from the Patchwork Quilt Builder, which plans every 3½" square as a separate cut. Strip piecing uses about the same fabric. The builder uses 42" of usable fabric width, adds 10%, and rounds up to the next ⅛ yard. If you alternate nine patches with plain blocks, you need about half as many nine patches, and the plain blocks can be cut as single 9½" squares.
| Size | Blocks | Finished size | Dark | Light | Backing | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | 16 (4 × 4) | 36" × 36" | ¾ yd | ¾ yd | 2¾ yd | ½ yd |
| Throw | 42 (6 × 7) | 54" × 63" | 2 yd | 1½ yd | 3¾ yd | ⅝ yd |
| Twin | 80 (8 × 10) | 72" × 90" | 3¾ yd | 3 yd | 5¾ yd | ¾ yd |
| Queen | 120 (10 × 12) | 90" × 108" | 5⅜ yd | 4⅜ yd | 8½ yd | ⅞ yd |
Why don’t my nine patch corners match?
Corners miss for three reasons: the seams don’t nest, the seam allowance changes from row to row, or the strips stretched while you pressed them.
Nesting fixes most of it. Press the seams in the top and bottom rows toward the dark squares, and the middle row toward the dark center. The seams then point in opposite directions where the rows meet. Push them together with your fingers until you feel them lock, and pin right at the seam.
If the corners still miss, measure your segments. Each one should be exactly 9½" long. A segment that comes out 9¼" means your seam is a thread or two wide. Press with an up-and-down motion instead of sliding the iron, which keeps long strips from stretching.
What can you make with nine patch blocks?
These ten ideas only work because the block is a nine patch. For general layouts like sashing and on point, see quilt pattern ideas.
1. Nine patches taking turns with plain blocks. The classic. Plain squares between the nine patches give the eye a rest and halve the piecing. Linen Cottage does this with earthy nine patches in fern, ochre and terracotta on linen.
2. A color gradient. Make each row of blocks a little darker than the one before. Ombré Nine Patch shifts from brick red to indigo across the quilt.
3. Scrappy nine patches. Use a different dark in every block and keep the lights the same. Scrappy Stars uses bright scrappy nine patches as its main block.
4. A checkerboard of swapped blocks. Make half your blocks with dark corners and half with light corners. Set them side by side, taking turns, and the whole quilt reads as one checkerboard. Try it in the Disco Nine Patch palette for a loud version.
5. Irish chain. Set nine patches between plain blocks so their dark corners touch. The corners link into diagonal chains. See the Irish chain quilt pattern.
6. Disappearing nine patch. Cut a big nine patch into quarters, turn them, and sew them back together. It looks much harder than it is. See easy quilt blocks that look difficult.
7. Double nine patch. A nine patch made of nine patches. Five small nine patches take the dark spots and four plain squares take the light ones. Use 1½" finished squares for a 13½" block. Double Nine Patch alternates these blocks with plain clay squares.
8. Nine patches as cornerstones. Put small nine patches where the sashing strips cross. Each one is a little spark of pattern between bigger blocks. Cornerstone Patch sets big print squares in homespun sashing with a tiny nine patch at every crossing.
9. Nine patches around a medallion. Start with a center block and frame it with a round of nine patches. Sunset Medallion rings a charcoal star with nine patches and big fuchsia squares.
10. Nine patches with stars tucked in. Swap a few nine patches for sawtooth stars of the same size. Scrappy Stars hides small stars among its nine patches.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many nine patch blocks do you need for a baby quilt?
- Sixteen 9" blocks, set 4 across and 4 down, make a 36" × 36" quilt. That is Patchwork’s Square Baby size. For a crib quilt (36" × 52"), use 9" blocks 4 across and 6 down and trim or add a border to fit. See the quilt size chart.
- What size should a nine patch block be?
- Any size that divides by three. 6", 9" and 12" are the most common, because their squares cut at 2½", 3½" and 4½", which are easy ruler lines. For a first quilt, 9" or 12" blocks go together fastest.
- What is a double nine patch?
- A double nine patch is a nine patch whose five dark squares are small nine patches. The four light squares stay plain. It looks detailed, but every seam is straight.
- Can I use charm squares for a nine patch?
- Yes. 5" charm squares finish at 4½", so a nine patch made from them is 13½" finished. A 42-piece charm pack makes four blocks, with six squares left over.
- Should I press nine patch seams open or to one side?
- Press to one side, toward the dark squares. Then the seams in neighboring rows point in opposite directions and nest together, which makes the corners match. Pressing open works too, but you have to pin more carefully.