The 9 Patch is a wonderful learning tool. My granny said you can do a lot with it. So we set it with a snowball block, later I made one again ,with dimensonal half sqs on the snowball. One of my dear friends took that one home to keep. The 9 Patch is not dead!! Helen in Ok

not so!!! In between making those " complicated" patterns I made myself a huge scrappy 9 patch and quilted it in a double wedding ring pattern. It turned out beautifullly!!

My learn to quilt class I will be teaching in Sept is the sampler in Alex Anderson's "Start Quilting". Rail fence, 9 p, alternater 9p, friendship star, and a few others. I love using that book for beginners.

I still love the nine patch. It's simplicity appeals to me. :)

Technology and current tools have enabled new quilters to tackle really complex patterns with great success, think it all started with the blessed rotary cutter LOL.

I still love the good old 9-patch, but I am also able to make "tumbling blocks" and "grandmother's flower garden" with great success and no "Y"seams - thanks to new methods

I haven't forgotten it. I"m in the process of making a disappearing 9 patch quilt. I'm slowly getting the blocks done. Too much sadness going on around my family but I trying to get back to my quilting.

You are in my prayers. Quilting (and hand stitching bindings) and the prayers of others are what helped to get me through sadness the last two years.

thanks GailG.

It does appear the 9 patch is alive and well. I posted the comment for two reasons:
1. To encourage new quilters to tackle the easy one while learning.
2. To remind all of us there are times we need a mind rest from the complicated and frustrating patterns we are eager to do. I plan o doing that when my current project is finished. While it is relatively easy, the block is all half square triangles and i'm mentally and physically tired of getting all those seams to match.