Need help with disappearing 9 patch.
 

I tried doing the bear claw for my brother's quilt, but it's just too intricate to do right now while recovering from my surgery, so I want to do a disappearing 9 patch. I got this pattern: http://www.popularpatchwork.com/news/article.asp?a=5294, but I do not understand what to start with. I am not using charms, so what size squares do I use to achieve a 9 1/2 inch unfinished block? It says in the instructions that 7-inch squares yield 9 1/2-inch blocks. So does that mean I cut each of the 9 squares 7 inches and sew them together, then when I cut the 9 patch and resew into a disappearing 9 patch, it will come out to 9 1/2 inches? I'm confused...can someone explain this to me?

My understanding is that yes this will make your blocks 9-1/2. So from every 9 patch block you make (using nine 7" squares) once you sew them all together, you will then cut the block as directed (in half both vertical and horizontal) and you will end up with four 9-1/2" blocks. Hope that makes sense

Yes, it does...For some reason the wording confused me. Thanks!!

The wording confused me, too.

The nine 7-inch squares sewn into a 9-patch block will make a 20-inch 'unfinished' size block

The nine patch when cut up into four pieces yields four 10x10 inch 'unfinished' size 'units'

The 10 inch units will 'finish' to 9-1/2 inches units

Yes, that article is confusing, because I think most of us would measure the block AFTER the original 9-patch has been cut in 4 pieces AND reassembled. This article measures the block BEFORE it is reassembled.

That is what I originally thought...in my head I was thinking 20 inches would be way too big, but when that block is cut, it makes it into 4 smaller blocks. I thought I would resew those 4 blocks to get a finished block, but now I understand that I need to sew those into rows and sew the rows together. I think I get now how this is going to work out.

Missouri Star Quilt Company has a tutorial on this, I made one and it turned out great.