The 4-to-9 block reminds me of the sliding number puzzle. Do you remember those? They were just a little plastic tray with number tiles that you would slide back and forth until you managed to get the numbers in order.
Start with four 4-3/4 inch squares of fabric. I chose four bright pieces. Charm packs work very well for this. Just trim the blocks to the right size before sewing them together.
Sew these into a simple 4-patch block. Your 4-patch block should be exactly nine inches square. Next cut your 4-patch block into 9 three inch squares. This can be done very simply by making two vertical cuts, one at the 3 inch mark and one at the 6 inch mark. Now make two horizontal cuts, one at the 3 inch mark and one at the 6 inch mark.
Let the fun begin…start rearranging your blocks until you find a pattern you like. There are lots of possibilities so play with it a bit. After you have arranged your blocks, simply sew them as you would any 9-patch block. It is so easy!!
Here are several combinations I found:
I’m not sure which I like best!!
Which ones do you like?
I like all of them...guess this is the 4 patch version of a disappearing 9-patch!!! FUN!!!
ReplyDeleteprobably the first one is my favorite. I like the symmetry of it.
ReplyDeleteThe second one looks like you've made stripey people with their arms up in the air... you could call it a quilt fulla hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing - I love the D9P and ALWAYS love to find a method that looks more complicated than it is!!