Friendship Star - Accuquilt version- a nine patch block

 

If, like me, you find cutting with a rotary cutter something that can cause you pain if you do it for too extended a period then some kind of die cutting system is probably on your wish list. Having treated myself to the strip cutters and some other dies a couple of years back I can truthfully say the Accuquilt dies are used in each and every quilt that I make.  However, I can also see that it might be something that you think is limited as each die can only cut one shape.  This series is intended to show that the Accuquilt Qube system which starts off with 8 basic shapes has the potential to make literally thousands of blocks. 

This block is the second in the series.

Since it is only half square triangles and squares which match then it is one which you can make in two separate sizes from the one Qube.

The size block created is dependent on both the Qube set used and on whether the choice is taken to use the larger squares and half square triangles in the set (dies 1 and 3) or the smaller versions (dies 2 and 5).  Click here to download a table with the sizes of block depending on the Qube set used.

Here is my You Tube video of the entire process

Click here for the traditional version

Click here to return to the nine patch page

54-40 or fight / nine patch block

 

"54-40 or fight" is named after the campaign slogan by Polk in the race to become President of the USA in 1845 to rally the support for dividing the West Coast (Oregon)  between USA and Canada at the 54'40" latitude.

The quilt block is based upon a 3x3 grid. The central square and each of the four corners is made from a four patch, these can give a diagonal line across the quilt when the blocks are set side by side of with other alternate blocks.

The units that make up the four side squares are "triangle in a square" or sometimes "peaky and spike".  These are often cut using specialty rulers or paper pieced for accuracy.

Examples:

Generations Quilt patterns 

Quilt Genie

As a side note the three colour version shown below is called "Bird of Paradise"- it is still the same subunits as 54-40 or fight.

The block is often used in two block patterns such as "Tennessee waltz"

More nine patch quilts

Shoo Fly - the Accuquilt version

 

If, like me, you find cutting with a rotary cutter something that can cause you pain if you do it for too extended a period then some kind of die cutting system is probably on your wish list. Having treated myself to the strip cutters and some other dies a couple of years back I can truthfully say the Accuquilt dies are used in each and every quilt that I make.  However, I can also see that it might be something that you think is limited as each die can only cut one shape.  This series is intended to show that the Accuquilt Qube system which starts off with 8 basic shapes has the potential to make literally thousands of blocks.  The first in this series is the Shoo Fly block.

Since it is only half square triangles and squares which match then it is one which you can make in two separate sizes from the one Qube.

The size block created is dependent on both the Qube set used and on whether the choice is taken to use the larger squares and half square triangles in the set (dies 1 and 3) or the smaller versions (dies 2 and 5).  Click here to download a table with the sizes of block depending on the Qube set used.

Here is my You Tube video of the entire process

Back to nine patch blocks

Garden of Eden/ Economy block - Uneven nine patch/5 x 5 block

This block is one which is said to hark back to the American Civil War.  It has been published as a pattern in at least two newspapers since; Once by Nancy Cabot (Chicago Tribune) as "The Garden of Eden", and also by the Kansas City Star as "Economy".  Sometimes it is characterised as an uneven nine patch sometimes as a 5x5 patch.

 Civil War Quilts has instructions for 10 and 15 inch blocks

Patchwork Square has example layouts

Version from Missouri Star Quilt Company

shoo fly - A Nine Patch Block

The Shoo fly block is another early block which can be found in extant quilts from the 1800's and has appeared in printed form throughout the twentieth century.  It was one of the patterns published by Nancy Cabot in the Chicago Tribune in 1933 and so is a common block in sampler quilts from the thirties and forties.  The classic version of the shoo fly is a two colour block but a simple variation is to change the centre square to make it a three colour variation.

How to draft the Shoo Fly Block

The Shoo Fly Block starts with a 3x3 grid.

The four outer squares are turned into half square triangle units.  

Add some colour by using two colours/patterns with some contrast and that's it

Variation:

Make a three colour version by making the centre square from an accent colour.

Hers is an example of the three colour version made by Nancy's Notions and using the two at a time method of making half square triangles -instructions have four of the basic block shown above set in a 2x2 grid. each block is 6 inches finished.

Here and here are instructions and block layout from Threadbare Creations along with another couple of posts here and here

This example is for a 12 inch finished block in two colours by Chock-A-Block quilt blocks.

Back to nine patch blocks master page