Question regarding disappearing 4 and 9 patch. Help Please
 

I have not tried the disappearing 4 and nine patches and my question is how do you place your colors. Do you go all scrappy, or what. I want to use fall leaf fabrics, one is all leaves, one is leaves plus other designs, one is a grayish green solid that goes with both of the other fabrics. Should I use 5 of the solid? or what.

You can make however it pleases you. I haven't done one scrappy but, if you want to you can. Your quilt your choice.

You could probably google and get lots if different pictures to help you decide

I've made several D9P ... all scrappy, more or less. The one I'm working on now, I've put I Spy blocks on the outer four corners with a solid blue in the center. The other four blocks are dots, various colors. I've done it this way so that I can preserve the I Spy blocks and the other blocks are cut. So in a sense, I've made a scrappy quilt with a pattern. My ideas for pondering.

When I've done the d9p I've put the largest prints in the 4 corners, the ones that will look good as the bars in the side positions and the accent ones that will look good cut in 4 pieces in the centers. So it is a planned scrappy.

The d4p I've done closer to a true scrappy, but still paying attention to light and dark for a certain degree of contrast.

You can do your quilt any way you want. The D9P I made had the same fabrics in the corners of the 9 patch, the same lighter colors in the 4 side patches, a different dark color in the center of the 9 patch. To get the effect of the D9P, I think you need to at least have the fairly standard dark colors in the corners and center, and lighter colors in the other 4 squares (or the reverse). But each square could be different fabric if you want.

I think the same would be true of the D4P - to have dark colors in the opposite 2 corners and lighter fabrics in the other opposite 2 colors.

I like everything scrappy but the center block, I like that one the same since it comes out to be the smaller squares. I think it adds continuity to the quilt. But then, I also don't mind the same fabric being side by side or perpendicular. So I think it's just personal choice. For me the more fabrics the better.

Look in the QB photo gallery- a sticky in the pictures section. There are a lot of examples of different kinds of D9P's, both scrappy & not. Lots of good ideas.

I've only done one D9P. I put a strong color in the center so my little squares would be the same and the rest was totally scrappy, though mostly from the same fabric line. The fabrics I had to add when I ran out of charms were similar in color, but I didn't pay any attention to pattern size. Don't look to closely - this was my second quilt.
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I have done both, and it is up to you. Scrappy looks great.

I agree with Tartan. After a few cuts you can see which not to cut and go for it .if not happy with yourself makea sample to copy or photos to look at.

I think the most important thing in a D9P is to have that center block stand out. Either very dark or very light (white?) or very bright compared to the other fabrics. I also try to keep the outside 4 corners of the 9 patch a larger print, or something I would rather not cut up.

Lyn Brown has a good download on disappearing 9 patch which is free. Here's the link. http://www.lynbrown.com/wp-content/u...cGen-Quilt.pdf

Like the others, I use a focus or favorite (I did an I-Spy, also) in the corners of the nine patch, complimenting colors in the 4 center side sqs and an accent in the center. I have done both planned and scrappy, but in everyone I used the same definite center color in the center throughout. Makes the color pop in the small pieces and gives continuity.

I just posted my version in Tutorials.

sandygirl

You can do just about any thing with a DP9 patch. I am currently working on one in bright neon colors for my Granddaughter. I am using black sashing between the squares on the 9 patch blocks (it looks like a tic tac toe pattern when the block is sewn). It's a fun pattern to do and I'm really liking the outcome of this pattern with the sashing.

I always ask that question and what I do is first lay out my squares and then with the ruler lay out how I would cut the fabric. I don't cut yet just envision the cut. Sometimes this enough for me to get a "pucture" of the finished product. The other choice is to just make a sample block. Cut, play with the arrangement of the sub cuts and if you like continue, if not... you get the picture. I made a 30's reproduction d4 and with unbleached muslin as the two opposing blocks and it turned out beautiful. Simple, sweet and perfect for the baby quilt. Sorry no, photo. It is in the camera at home. Any way have fun with the d4 and d9's. Explore and experiment with them. Post your progress. It will be fun for us to see what you choose.

Make a sample and see if you like it.

Its your quilt...Do what looks best to you.

I did a DP9 patch. There were two main fabrics, one of trees and one of wolves, which I fussy cut. There were two other fabrics. I put the wolves and trees in the corners and when it was done, cut the block through the middle squares, not the wolves or trees. I then put the wolves so that the two squares were pointed to each other, for the focus fabric. I made it for my brother for last Christmas, and he never used it - he passed away in September and I retrived the quilt.

Sorry, it is sideways, but I think you can get the picture. The block corners are at the tree corners and the light tan corners.

In the 9-patch, the middle square in the middle row should be the same color in every square, probably a solid color In the 4-patch, scrappy should be fine.

I did Craftsy's Mystery quilt and it ended up being a D9P. I had never done one before so it was new to me. We had to buy a layer cake. We made a 9 patch out of the layer cake. So, it was scrappy. I didn't think I was going to like it, but I really did. I didn't know about placement of certain fabrics, which really didn't matter with a layer cake. I am going to make more D9Ps now that I see how they turn out. I don't have any idea how a D4P works. I guess I'll just have to make one and see how it works. The D9P was fun to make, so I bet the D4P would be, also.

That is the way I do it, then those center squares can form a pattern. I have used black, or solid colors in that center square.

That is beautiful! Love it! So sorry about your brother.

(referring to the one with the wolves - Jakers1)

I just made my first fp9 - Dressed to the Nines in Quilting Quickly/Fall 2013. There is also a video you can watch on the Fons & Porter website. OMG! I was astounded at what a simple block could do! I am loving a dp9. Have fun making yours.

Im glad you asked this as Ive wondered about how to achieve the different looks.

I haven't seen anyone talk about the D4P. It is very different, but just as easy to do. I have made several, and they are fun. You can also do a DPinwheel, but that is actually not a "disappearing", but a "Diminishing Pinwheel". The pinwheel in the center just gets smaller. I hope someone will be able to post pictures.

Thanks so much everyone. Your suggestions will save me a lot of work. Usually I can visualize what I am working one but for some reason this was was just not happening. Really appreciate the references to the middle square and the four corner squares. I have watched some tutes, but they didn't mention things like leaving the corner blocks uncut. Will post a sample in a week or so. Working on reorganizing right now and quilted post cards for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Disappering nine patch
 

Here is the one my sweetie made this summer(with help from me). We found the vegetable and fruit fabrics on our vacation. He will show it at "Kunst in der Mensa" in the student restaurant in Homburg Germany in January 2014

Help, where is the "Photo Gallery located "

At the top left of your screen click on "main". Then click on the "pictures" section. The Photo Gallery thread is the first topic in the pictures thread. In that thread there is a "click here" that will get you to the photo gallery.

I have done the D4P in a scrappy fashion but each block had the same fabrics in the diagonal corners, so I used two squares of each fabric to make each block but different blocks had different fabrics. A good contrast in value or color does make each block better. It is a pretty block that is fairly easy to make but looks complicated.

I made a quilt for my son out of funny hunting material. I placed those in the corners of the D9P and then had the inside block the one cut into small four pieces the same and the bars the same. The hunting material had 4 different designs.
He loves it.