2 March 2012

Nine Patch Leftovers - Help!

So, I have a heap of strips left over from the nine patch project I am working on. There should be enough to make something useful from with a little bit of work. What I lack are ideas. I was thinking maybe a couple of strips of plain fabric? But I don't want to buy too much more fabric or deal with having to work out co-ordinating colours. Or maybe one of each colour per block to make a stripy pattern? But that wouldn't give me as many blocks as if I only used one strip per block.

So any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Here are the strips to give an idea of colours.



Also, here is the pile of nine patch blocks ready to be made into the top. It's gonna be huge!!

5 comments:

How about cutting a plain centre square, using similar shades as border strips, with a plain square in the corners?

You might also want to sort your strips into ABA and BAB, in terms of value (tone). As long as you're working with similar values, you can go a long way, even with dissimilar colours.

Or something like this, done scrappy...? http://quilterscache.com/T/TwentyFivePatchStar.html

Or this one http://quilterscache.com/C/CometsBlock.html You would do the corners of the centre with the flippy triangles method, once you'd assembled some scrappy Nine Patches

Or you could unpick the third square and make four patch elements for Jewel Box http://quilterscache.com/J/JewelBoxBlock.html or Road to Oklahoma http://quilterscache.com/R/RoadtoOklahomaBlock.html

Have fun!

I was going to suggest the same as Nola, adding a plain square. Unpicking for 4 patch .

Yes, you could unpick one block from each, combine it with a light or dark from another 3square strip and then treat as four patch blocks.

OR you could cut each strip in half, recombining with others also cut in half - you could then build them up till they become squares, combine with some plain fabric that matches one of the colours, then make into cushions or pillow cases for the new bedspread - you could do that without cutting them and repiecing, too of course.

Don't pull them apart. Sew them together as 9 patches and then apply the disappearing 9 patch pattern:-

http://quilting.about.com/od/blockofthemonth/ss/Cookie-Cutter-Nine-Patch-Quilt-Pattern.htm

Fantastic scrappy quilt result!

No way would I 'unsew' leftovers - just add calico!!! Cut calico strips same size as your 3-piece strips. And cut same size strips of coordinating prints. Add a few zingers!
Piece together, alternating all the strips (pieced or not), with calico in between. cheers,