MadQuilter

That's it.

Barb in Louisiana

I wondered why she wanted 5 inch finished blocks, but thought that be something to do with how she wanted to put them together. She should definitely be cutting 2" squares to get her 4.5 inch finished 9 patch.

SherriB

Sorry I wasn't more clear in my original post. Sometimes I think there is a block between my brain and hands. LOL!! I have lots of 5 in squares, charms, and would like to use them with a 9 patch. I cut my scraps into 5 inch squares quite often and now just need to use them.

And thanks to everyone for the math help!!! Math is my biggest foe when it comes to quilting.

maviskw

Take a five inch square and cut off the seam allowance all around. Now you have a 4.5 inch square. Cut that 4.4 inch square into three equal blocks each way. 4.5 divided by 3 = 1.5.
This is your finished size. Then you add half an inch to that measurement to get the measurement of each square in the nine patch. You need 2 inch squares to start with.
Quite a few of you got it right.

sept97

http://delawarequilts.com/HelpfulHin...atchQuilt.html

SherriB

Thank you for posting the link!!!!! I am going to print it and save it with my quilt patterns. I love making 9 patches and all the different ways you can use them.

Just Jan

You can always cut a sliver off the charm squares. For example if you used 2 1/2" squares to make 4-patch blocks they will measure 4 1/2" so just cut the 5" charm down to 4 1/2 inches to match the block- rather than trying to make the block match the charm. For a 9-patch use 2" squares and if you use scant quarter inch seams it should finish to 5 inches when pressed. I always use scant quarter seams to allow for the little bit the seams take up and they should come out perfect to match the precut charms. You can use jelly roll strips for the 4-patches and trim the charms to match. Another option is that you can always cut a 9-patch down without hurting it. It then becomes known as an uneven 9-patch. It just means the center square is then a tad larger than the other 8 squares around it. However in this case you won't need to. But if you ever wanted to use layer cake squares for larger blocks, you could use 3.75" squares for the 9-patch which would come out to 10.25" then you just cut 1/8" off each side to match the 10" layer cake squares.
Another way to use up lots of charm squares is to make them into 4-patches which will measure 9 1/2" to finish to a 9" block which is a great size to use for most patterns. Mix them with hour glass blocks, etc.