Help with D9P
 

I bought a fat quarter package of Michael Miller "TA DOT". Until I saw a similar quilt on Google, I hadn't been able to choose a pattern. What my question is, my fabrics are fat quarters and yardage. Since they are not precut squares, is it easier and quicker to sew strips instead? I will be cutting 6" squares out of the fat quarters. THANKS

I don't know the answer to that but your pattern in the dots is terrific. I'm anxiously awaiting the finished project!

I would for sure sew a narrow black strip onto a 6" white strip, then cut the narrow side strips so you don't have to deal with the small squares. I would consider cutting 6" strips from your FQ, sew a narrow white strip to the long side, then recut into 6" units. I'd probably do one FQ this way to see if it saved time or not.

I think I will cut the fat quarters into 3 strips and sew the short white strip to them then sub cut them into blocks. I will sew the black cornerstone stripe to the longer white stripe and the hack them vertically. THANKS PP.

You would have less waste with the fat quarters if you cut 5" squares.

I sewed a D9P with a fish fabric that had to remain right side up. It was not faster. But I think with your dots it may be okay if you can keep them in order.

I would definitely sew strips. Cut all three of your fabrics into strips 6" wide, your FQ polkadots, and your white and black.

Fabrics

C = (color) Dot
W = White
B = Black

strip set 1 CWC
strip set 2 WBW

Sub cut that into 6" strips & sew your 9P together:

CWC (strip set 1)
WBW (strip set 2)
CWC (strip set 1)

Then cut your 9P in half vertically & horizontally exactly in the middle.

Arrange your blocks according to your plan.

(I know you know all this, but newbies sometimes wonder...)

I recently made my first D9P... after sewing the 9p's and then cutting and resewing, i thought it might be easier to just cut the pieces needed for the final layout. add a white strip to the color square. but sew strip sets of the black and white and subcut those to add to the side of the color/white pieces. JMHO

No advice on how to go about it but I love that design.

Measure your fat quarters before you start cutting them. I have purchased some that were only 17.5 inches long x 21 inches wide. Your pattern looks like it could be adapted to 5.5 iinch or 5 inch squares if your FQs are skimpy.

Go for whatever works out to be the most efficient, since you already have a design planned out. The reason I like DNP is for the randomness it creates when sew the 9 patch and then cut it up.

I love dots and think the project will be attractive no matter what!

This looks like a D9P pattern. I would think it would be a lot easier to sew the 9 patches and cut to make this quilt. It would be a lot more trouble to sew the small individual squares. Does that make sense?

Thank you for this lovely clear diagram! I plan to use it to make Community Quilts and will cut the prints 6.5", the black squares 2.5" and the white strips 2.5" x 6.5" making a 8.5" block. This is perfect for my beginning stitchers. I plan to cut 11 different WOF 6.5" strips for the prints (subcut into 6.5" squares), four 2.5" strips of black for the 2.5" squares and eight 6.5 WOF strips (subcut into 2.5 x 6.5 rectangles) for the white. This is a much easier and more accurate way of cutting and stitching to get a D9Patch in my opinion. Like most things in quilting, use the method that works for you.

3 * 6.5 = 18.5

Are your fat quarters cut generously?

The D9p is a very easy pattern and it goes quickly. I think you will be complicating the process by cutting strips.

It will be a great quilt using the dots!! Please post a pic when you start working on it :)

Much easier to just cut all your squares the same size as Quiltmouse suggested.

You are trying to make the D9P with the little pieces. Quilting Nan has a plan for that, too. But the original plan for D9P has you make 9-patches first. Usually we put the same color into the center of all the 9-patches: black or white or something really bright and eye-catching. Then another color goes on the four sides of the center square; finally the corner blocks are added. These corner blocks are the ones that show up most in the finished quilt, so we put squares that we'd rather not cut up here. After the 9-patch is created, we cut it once up and down the middle and once across the middle. Now you have created four 4-patches which you can arrange as you wish. The picture in the first post is just one arrangement, but is probably the most used arrangement. There are many more.

I do mine the same as quiltmouse. Works every time, but I find 5" strips works the best when using fat quarters.

Adding my two cents here: I agree with your idea of strip piecing this particular pattern. I have made a lot of D9P, and in this particular layout, you can indeed save the time of sewing and cutting all the 9Ps.

Once you decide the size of your dot fabric squares to make the best use of your fat quarters (I will use your 6" size) it will be very easy, needing only two sets of strips. Set one will be the 6" dots with a 2" white strip, and set two will be a 6" white strip with a 2" black strip.
You will use one of each strip set to make each 8" segment which will represent 1/4th of the 9P block.

I love the pattern you posted. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project.

Can't answer your question but I love your quilt!

I would cut your FQs into 6" strips because that would leave you with a 4" x 18" piece - big enough for another project. But I would measure the FQs first in case one is short. It happens! If so, then I would cut me strips 5 1/2". I love D9P for quick quilts - especially kids quilts, they are so versatile, especially if you find a great kids charm pack.