How to sew a basic 9-Patch Quilt Top
First wash and iron your fabrics, then fold until ready to use. Half are dark and half are light.
Cutting: Cut them into Sqs at 4 or 6 whatever size you choose. Make sure they are all uniform and square. Iron as you go.
Sewing: No back stitching as you will go over each sq enough in a different direction to be the same as back stitching. Make sure your seams are uniform at a standard Ό seam. Use a guide on your machine such as a stack of post it notes to make a raised edge. Measure from the needle not the out side of the foot. And get a quarter inch foot for your machine.
Ironing: As you get a stack of 9 patches sewed, iron them flat pressing seams to the dark side of the fabric. And after you sew rows again press your new seams again towards the dark fabrics.
Now stack in groups of 10-20 or 40. You want even number of dark and light in two stacks of say 63 that is 4 sq at 7 -9 Patches x say 10 rows gives 630 squares divide that in half and you get 315 squares of dark and 315 sq of light color. That is a top 7 9 patches wide by 10 9 patches long. Or it should be 80.5 wide and 115 long.
Ok take your dark and light stacks. You are going to lay them out start with sq #1 dark and then sq #2 light. You make half starting with a dark sq and the other half starting with a light sq. So when you finish your 9 Patches #1 & #2 you can sew them together and you will continue with dark and light. Example: 9 patch is 3 rows of 3 sq.s Start with a dark sq then a light sq and a dark sq for row 1, then start with a light sq and a dark sq and a light sq. repeat row 1 for row 3. Now when you sew the three rows together you have.
D, L, D and L, D, L
L, D, L D, L, D
D, L, D L, D, L repeat all this for 7- 9 patch squares across the bed so you can see your pattern. Or if you have a wall to hang them on with push pins is good too.
Then in row 2 you reverse the dark and lights.
L, D, L and D, L, D
D, L, D L, D, L
L, D, L D, L, D
Then row 3 you repeat row 1 dark
Row 4 you repeat row 2 light
Row 5 you repeat row 1 dark
Row 6 you repeat row 2 light
Row 7 you repeat row 1 dark
Row 8 you repeat row 2 light
Row 9 you repeat row 1 dark
Row 10 you repeat row 2 light
Sew each 9 patch square with the proper sq next to it. All across the row. Sew all 7 sq across. Mark the upper left corner of each row with a safety pin so you do not mix them up. Place the pin in the top left sq of each row.
Now to sew your rows 1-10 together.
First all your 7 - 9 Patches are across the bed in dark and light and dark and light all across the row. NO 2 Darks are to be together and no 2 lights are to be together.
Now sew row 1 & row 2 all across. You flip row 2 over row 1 & sew at the bottom of row 1 and it will be the top of row 2. You do this so when open right sides out your safety pins are all in the upper left sq of both rows.
Repeat row 3 and 4 Then 5-6, Then 7 & 8 and 9 & 10.
Remember to flip them so right sides are together and all pins are in upper left corner on top. If not you have one up side down.
Once all 10 rows are done you have a quilt top about 80.5 x 115
I hope this helps make a top.
Now add a backing that is 6 wider on all 4 sides so in this case it is 80.5 wide plus 6 on each side is 92.5 and 115 plus 6 inches on each side add 12 at 6 on each end makes it 127 long. Make your batting 2.5 to 3 larger than the top. So if my math is correct I will add 6 to the 80.5 + 6= 86.5 wide and 115 add another 6 = 121 Long
Layer the 3 layers backing will be right side down on your table top or bed top. You may need to sew 2 lengths of 44 wide fabric to get 87.6 wide when sewn together at 121 long each. Once your seam is sewn iron it in the seam. Now lay it down right side down and wrong side up.
Lay down batting so 3 inside the backing on all 4 sides. Trim to fit if you need to.
Now lay the top you just made on top of the batting and it will be right side up.
Now you tie yarn in the 9 patches on upper left corner (safety pins are removed) and in the center of the 9 patch and go all across. Use sport weight yarn it is lighter. Thread a yarn needle and go thru all the layers of the top, batting and backing. Start on the top, go thru and come back up to the top. Leave yarn ends long enough to tie in 2 or 3 knots and trim to 1. Go all across each row that way so 2 yarn ties are in each 9 patch. And It will be like this:
D, L, D row one D on left gets a yarn in upper left corner of the sq.
L. D. L row two of 9 patch gets the center D sq with a yarn tie in the center of the sq.
D, L, D
Once all across the row repeat the second row, third, fourth etc
to row 10.
Now fold the back over the batting and to the top. Turn for a Ό seam to turn under. Pin all the way around. Miter the corners. Look online how to do that. It is a matter of folding and pining a corner. Then zig zag around the edge.
You now have a finished beginner quilt. Hope this is clearer than mud.