...For some reason the good old 9 patch has taken a back seat as a beginning quilting project. What has happened. One must learn to crawl and walk before running toward "New York Beauties"; Double Wedding Roings" and other complicated designs.

I don't know! I was thinking the same thing. I started with the 4 Patch, moved to the 9 patch then Friendship Star.

I started with Rail Fence and Nine Patch

I am teaching a friend to quilt also and we are just starting with 5" squares to perfect seam allowances and to line up seams. I can't imagine starting with anything more advanced than simple blocks!!

it disappeared! sorry, couldn't resist. I went through a time of making 9 patch blocks like crazy. chain pieced tons of them.

At my house it is still very much alive and well!

I'm working on one now, alternating the 9P block with hourglass blocks. My first class started with 4P and the instructor told us at the end of the class that we didn't need to "bother" making any 9P since we had already mastered the 4P. Needless to say, I've made quite a few of those 9P since I left that class.

I was always a rule breaker :roll: :D:D:D

checkerboards are much harder for me than complex blocks.

gafarbles aren't as visible when there are lots of pieces to fool the eye. :lol:

Same for me. I never said that I *kept* any of my first blocks! :D

I found the 9 patch to be harder than many other blocks.

it went the way all the good old starting habits did...tossed aside without a care in the world, for the "gotta have it NOW" crowd...just like washing your fabric BEFORE it bleeds, shrinks, etc...learning WHAT bias means, why does fabric have a selvage edge, what is a NAP, etc, etc, etc.....today's beginner classes teach you how to follow directions, NOT how to really quilt!

"garfarbles"??? great NEW word...hehehe :lol:

used to be rail fence THEN 9 patch...so you got plenty of practice cutting those strips AND making those 1/4" seams!

I still like it.

They need to get a groaning smiley face doing a rim shot on this board for jokes like that. And, here I sit...giggling. Great response, NativeTexan!!!

I love 4 patch, 9 patch and rail fence.

I still like 4 and 9 patches. You can do a lot with them.

I love 9-patch!! That's what I started with to make sure I was using a 1/4" seam... Occasionally I still practice that! There are a ton of wonderful quilts to make with 9-patches...

My first quilt was an Irish Chain, using 9-patch, & made in the Quilting 101 class I took. I think it was a great pattern for my first. Learned a lot!

loved my nine patch and novelty print fabric combined in same quilt .. wonderful experience.. used the strip method. Turned out fantastic and lots of compliments.

a sad thing to miss out on .. nice post !

This is my current project a 9 patch in a 9 patch. I love 9 patches:)

I am working on a double nine patch now, guess I am old fashioned :)

my very first 9P was all done by cutting the squares and sewing by hand together..that was in the 70's! I so enjoy strip cutting and piecing them now!

A simple 9 patch wall hanging was the very first quilting project I made six years ago. Since that time, I've made many other wall hangings, but that's the one that I still display. Sometimes I look at it, and it gives me a happy feeling. Other times, it's a reminder of how much I've progressed with my quilts.

Even after we had a small fire in our home, I had the wall hanging professionally cleaned and put it right back up on the wall.

Lol....to funny!!!!

I started making hand cut squares to 9-patches, then fence rails, then I quit for 20 years and my first rotary quilt was a bargello flag.

I just recently put a nine patch into a mug rug for my sister. still a fan favorite here.

my first quilting project was a table runner using the rail fence.
Next, a doll quilt using the 9 patch.
Next, another doll quilt using the checkerboard technique.
Next, the disappearing 9 patch!!!

I've only been quilting 2 1/2 years but those first projects were great for perfecting my 1/4 inch seam, matching seams, and learning machine quilting.

the 9 patch has not disappeared!!!

my first quilt was paper piecing and little nine patches. the paper piecing was nice because when I sewed them to the ninepatches, I knew exactly where to sew because of the lines!

My beginning quilting class taught us using the Ohio Star.

My first block was drunkard's path because I thought a lot of the 'beginner' blocks were a bit boring. If I had failed at it I would have started a simpler one. However,I was not new to sewing at the time.
I agree that beginner sewers should not bite off more than they can chew and learn sound techniques as they go.

quilting has really changed since I started I had classes on drafting blocks , changing sizes , how to make templates and always started with a sanpler quilt so we could learn more than one techniques so I am thankful that I really did get in for the real learning thing now today everything has to be to fast for that kind of stuff

my first quilt was the friendship star

I still like it..too

I, also have wondered what happened to this old stand-by. I still use it for many projects. Split it up several different ways then sew back together. Makes a wonderful starting point for a beautiful quilt. I also use 4 patch as a base for many quilts.

Experimenting is the trick.

I haven't found a class in my area which isn't ' make a 36" project so ugly you wouldn't want to hang inside your closet in three easy lessons'. I've been going along with books on quilting and textiles and thank heaven for the Board.

And I'm definitely of the walk before run school of quilting - I want to master something, like cutting squares square, joining squares with proper joinery, doing strips for rail fence, then simple HST... Whenever I try to leap ahead I trip up.

:oops:

I don't think the 9 or 4 patch are easy so perhaps we are wrong headed here. Making one 4 patch is one thing but then joining them and having ALL the seams match up all the way around...HARD.

Have you ever tried doing the 9P by strip piecing? It's so much easier than cutting all the blocks and then sewing them together.