Hive 2 September 2026 Tutorial Disappearing Four Patch for Nancy

Hi!  I’m Nancy, the September QB.  I’ve been wanting to make a throw for my father-in-law who is perpetually cold, and another for my husband’s cousin who will earn her PhD next year in pediatric cardiology nursing.  This scrappy block will be just the thing for them.  This website was my inspiration.  https://agilejack1.com/2023/10/03/those-aboriginal-scraps-kept-calling-my-name/ 

Colors:  Think organic colors more than glow-in-the-dark bright—plum, purple, blue, gold, teal, rose, rust, olive, russet, brown, burgundy, red, tan, blue, taupe, green, grey, black.  Prints of any scale are great, including florals.  Stripes and plaids will work; don’t obsess over getting the seams lined up with the print fabric.  Please, no seasonal, religious, or juvenile prints.  Batiks are good.  A bit of metallic is okay.  Mix it up, and be creative, but don’t waste too much time agonizing over your choices.

Pick four fabrics that work together without being matchy-matchy, with two darker and two lighter, cutting one 6.5" square from each.  The two darks barely interact, as do the two lights, so NONE of them have to "relate" colorwise .  Having at least one big-scale print works well, and makes the block more interesting.  At the end of this tutorial I have included a photograph of some of the other blocks I’ve made so you can get a better idea of where these projects are going.  

Note:  All seam allowances are .25" wide.

If you’re unsure of how the values relate to each other, take a photo of the choices and display the photo in black and white on your phone.

Sew into a four patch with light and dark squares alternated as shown, matching pressed seams.  (Matching the seams precisely makes the next cuts a lot easier.)  Press with a dry iron.  Check for any folds when pressing since getting the seams pressed without folds can help accuracy.  (Ask me how I know.  🫤)  I pressed toward the dark pieces so I could nest my seams, then spun the seam allowances at the center a bit so the block was less bumpy during the next step.

Next, cut 2” away from the center seams on either side in both directions without moving any of the pieces—four cuts in all.  If you’re careful, you can simply rotate your mat 90 degrees at a time to cut, being careful not to move the pieces out of place.  (I screwed this up the first time by accidentally cutting 2.5” from the center seam, instead of the correct side of my ruler.  I then used a sticky note to make sure I got the correct side of my ruler, since it was too easy for me to get this wrong.)

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You then end up with this.

Next, spin the four side pieces 180 degrees.  Everything stays as is.

Reassemble the nine segments like a nine-patch, matching seams, and sew together.  Be aware the middle segments will appear 1/4” too small in one direction—both for the very center unit--because of seam allowances.  Don’t let that throw you off.

Press.  You’re done!  The finished block should measure 11.5” including seam allowances.  No need to trim!

 Thanks for playing!  I’m looking forward to seeing your amazing blocks and incorporating them into these two gifts.  Sam and Genna are looking forward to staying warm this winter.

And as promised, the blocks I’ve made so far.

Hive 1 September Economy Block for Ruth

Hi Ruth,

Hope you're settling in nicely in your new home! These blocks are going on the way to you today or the latest tomorrow.

Happy quilting,

Rita

Hive 1 September Friendship Star Block for Caitlin

 

Hi Caitlin,

HSTs and myself are not on friendly terms, nonetheless, I managed to get some Friendship Stars out of them. 😁

These blocks go on their way to you today.

Happy sewing,

Rita

Frienship Stars for Caitlin

Hi Caitlin,

I hope these blocks work well for you and find their place in your collection of "Friendship Stars"!

Happy Quilting!

Marie

Hive 1 Economy Blocks for Abby

 As soon as the hurricane passes and I can get to the post office, these blocks will be on their way to you. Hope you like them!

~ Diana @ Red Delicious Life

Hive 1 Economy Blocks for Abby

Abby, I'm (gasp!) also in that other swap group, but I had to sit out economy blocks because the timing wasn't great for me. Thank you for getting me back in! I was regretting missing it, but got to have the fun of learning to make these blocks anyway. They'll go out to you tomorrow.

Hive 1: Economy Blocks for Abby!

Hello!

I always appreciate an economy block request because I can just FPP them!! No fuss, no  muss!

Hopefully these will fit in your rainbow -- and no blues!! 

In the mail tomorrow, hopefully!

-Molli.

Hive 1 September Economy Blocks for Abby

 

Hi Abby,

These were fun to make! I loved searching my stash for whimsy prints. Hope you like them and that your quilt ends up big enough to 'drown in it' 😃.

They are going on their way to you today.

Happy quilting,

Rita

Economy Blocks for Abby

Hi Abby!

Thanks for this fun request for your "extra long" quilt. I did my best to avoid introducing blue fabric, but I failed😂.

Happy Sewing!

Marie

Hive 5 - September Tutorial - Double Disappearing 9 Patch for Erin

Double Disappearing 9 Patch for Erin

Hive 5 Tutorial for September 2024

The number of times I have gone back to Christina Cameli’s tutorial on

the double disappearing 9 patch (dd9p) block is embarrassing.

Her Blog ‘A Few Scraps’ is a wealth of great stuff and here is her tutorial

https://www.afewscraps.com/2014/07/double-disappearing-nine-patch-improved.html

her original tutorial really inspired my thoughts on color/background and layout ideas:

https://www.afewscraps.com/2011/08/double-disappearing-nine-patch.html

In 2020, another stashbee participant, Em from @moonlightsewing, did another dd9p tutorial withdifferent dimensions. Hers uses charm squares and ends in a 19.5” finished block

https://stashbee.blogspot.com/search?q=double+disappearing+

This is going to be following The first tutorial for a 10” finished block.

The basics of this block are sewing a nine-patch block from your small squares,

cutting that nine-patch into quarters, adding the large squares to create a new 9 patch.

Then you'll repeat the process of cutting, rotating blocks and sewing.

This makes sense when you see it, I promise.

NOTES:

For the stashbee, I’m going to have you stop after creating just the first disappearing 9 patch block.

From here, I’m going to cut them into quarters to create final blocks. I want to play with mixing and matching

parts of the blocks that you have created!

I’m going to post a whole tutorial so you can have it if you want to make some dd9p in the future for a project of yours!

Fabric Choices-

I love a bright rainbow of colors. Think as ‘Neon’ as you can possibly get- like those packs of highlighters or

‘astrobrights’ paper. If you have solids, great! If not, please try to have the fabric read as color-true as possible:

tone on tone, small prints, blenders. Bonus points if you have really cute little prints that have wild/weird things like starry, tula pink, ruby star or other modern designers.

Background: Low volume brighter whites, light greys 

Bright Colors: 

Cool Colors- turquoise blue, lime green, purple

Warm Colors- Pink, Magenta, Orange, yellow

Fabric Restrictions:

Please Do NOT use brown/cream, batiks, patriotic, large prints

Cutting list:

Small Squares 3”x3”

(4) Background/White

(4) Bright Colors for corners 

(1)Contrasting Bright Center Color - this will remain paired with your corner colors 

Large Squares 4”x4”

(1) Center Color - this will remain paired with your corner and first center colors 

(4) Background/White

BLOCK INSTRUCTIONS:

Make a nine-patch block

Your corners and middle should be your brightly-colored fabric, while the middle pieces will be your white/background fabric

Here's an example with prints and a light grey background instead of white. Please keep your background the same print/color.

Square up your fabric after cutting. 

Prepare to cut your nine-patch down the middle both ways

Spread the blocks out, keeping the original middle block at the center.

Place the new large squares for a new nine-patch. Your center square should be a color fabric, your middle squares should be background fabric. Sew into your new nine-patch

*****STASHBEE- STOP HERE - DON’T TRIM - Send as is!*****

You’re going to stop here and send me your disappearing nine-patch.

I am going to trim and quarter these to mix and match them up for the final product!

I can't wait to see the fun things that you send out!

Otherwise:

If you are following along to make your own dd9p:

Cut your new nine-patch down the middle in both directions,

rearrange opposing corner blocks by rotating 180 degrees, so your corner blocks now are in the center. Sew this together and you now have your dd9p!

There are lots of other fun variations you can do with this by just rearranging your small blocks before the final sew

Hive 7 - September Tutorial - Quilts of Valor

September has arrived too quickly. I had a million ideas flirting in my head. Since the traditional guild in my town is celebrating its 50th anniversary, they have decided to create 50 Quilts of Valor this year. I have committed to making two. One is now at the long armer. I would love you to help me build a second one with a modern feel. 

I would like STARS. Since our hive has been having so much fun with the "choose your own adventure" approach, you may choose the pattern and size. 

There are many interesting patterns that are not too traditional (see examples in final picture). Please choose whatever pattern you prefer, in whatever size you wish, as long as they read as stars. They may be pieced or paper pieced, but please no appliqué. 

If you'd like some ideas, Moda has directions for 40 different stars at their blockheads5 website. To see the directions, click on the view button under each one.

I will lay out the all the blocks randomly and will fill the blanks to give the quilt a modern look. 

Colours are WHITE, RED and BLUE: in solid, in geometric, in stripes, in modern prints. Please no flowers, no civil war, no calico, no patriotic pattern either. 

    Reds: clear or rich (no pinkish or orange tones) 

    Blues: from medium blue to dark navy 

    White, white on white (avoid the off white, beige, cream) 

Here are some print style examples:

Here are 3 examples of star blocks:

These 3 patterns were picked from quilterscache.com. There are tones of block ideas of every style on that site. You can choose by name or by size or go through all the pages. 

Thanks for warming the heart of a deserving veteran❣️  

Here's an unusual request. Please mail your block(s) after September 10th. My mail is being held at the post office until September 12th. Of course, you may post them on IG as soon as they are done as I would love to see them earlier. I will notify you about their arrival after September 12th.

 Diane

Hive 2- September Tutorial- Interlocking Pipelines Square

 

Hive 2- September: Interlocking Pipelines Square

12” finished square- 12.5”with seam allowance

 

This is based on an image of a block I saw once and have no idea where and cannot find again since I don’t know what it’s actually called. This isn’t an original idea, and I would happily give attribution to whomever did think it up if anyone knows who that is.

Color choices:  colors 1 and 2 should contrast though they don’t have to be straight color opposite. Color 3, where colors 1 and 2 intersect, should also be quite different from 1 and 2. Try not to use directional prints or patterns with words as I will be turning these different directions when assembling the quilt top.

For colors- think “Obnoxious” and go BRIGHT (does not have to be light- see examples below) and BOLD and BUSY. Please- Not pastels & not muted.  Prints are ok- but please no children’s patterns or thematic- they should be generic images not specific ones. Batiks are ok. Neon is ok, but not exactly what I mean by bright. There are some examples at the bottom of the instructions.

Fabric needs and cutting:

1.       Color 1-

a.       1 of 6.5” square

b.       4 of 2.5” squares

2.       Color 2-

a.       1 of 6.5” square

b.       4 of 2.5” squares

3.       Color 3-

a.       2 of 2.5” squares

4.       Background- plain black or something that reads very dark black (I used Kona black, but I’m ok with black on black or dark grey on black)

a.       16 of 2.5” squares

Sewing:

First the snowball blocks

1.       Need to make a 6.5” snowball for each of color 1 and 2 using black in the corners-

a.       start with the 6.5” color square and 4 of the 2.5” black squares for each of color 1 and color 2.

                                                               i.      Draw a diagonal line across the wrong-side of the black fabric from corner to corner.

                                                             ii.      Line up the small black square right sides together on top of the 6.5” color square in a corner. The diagonal line you drew should look like it cuts off the corner.

2.       Sew along the diagonal and then trim the comer off ¼” above/outside the seam you just sewed- actually cut off the corner!

3.       Repeat for all 4 black squares putting one on top of each corner of the colored square.

4.       Open the black triangles so the center becomes an octagon with black triangles in the 4 corners- press seams out towards the black.

(instructions and based on https://scissortailquilting.com/quilt-block-library/snowball-quilt-block/) 

Second the pipe blocks- this is just two 9 patch blocks.

For each nine patch you need: 

2 of 2.5” squares of color 1; 

2 of 2.5” squares of color 2; 

1 of 2.5” square of color 3; and 

4 of 2.5” squares of black; 

Arrange with the 1 of the color 3 square in the center, the 4 black squares in the outer corners. The squares from colors 1 and 2 should be on opposite sides of the center block, one going across and one going up and down. You should have 2 of these nine patches at 6.5” square when you have finished

Sew: Row 1- Black, Color 1, Black; Row 2- Color 2, Color 3, Color 2; Row 3- Black, Color 1, Black

For rows 1 and 3 press seams out towards the black, for row 2- press seams in towards middle color 3

Sew the 3 rows together and press seams outwards towards rows 1 & 3.

Assembling the block

Now lay out your snowballs on the top left and bottom right corners. Put the nine-patches in the other corners- top right and bottom left. The colors at the edges of the the nine patches should meet the same colors at the edges of the snowball- if not rotate them until they do. Ideally- it’ll look like the color is flowing from the pool out through the pipes- see examples at the end. 

Sew them together for final square of 12” finished, 12.5” with seam allowance

 Viola! Complete! 

Final note- I will be making a border with “caps” for the open pipe ends- if you have at least 6.5” x 4.5” of any of your 3 colors leftover that you would be willing to send so I can incorporate it into the border- that would be awesome. I’d rather use what’s in the quilt over introducing new fabric in the border.

 

Here is an image of some of the blocks I made in trying to create these instructions, for inspiration: