Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Pattern
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Time to read 12 min
Ready to create a fun and simple quilt? This Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Pattern includes two ways to make this classic quilt:
- Piece from fat quarters - starting with bigger squares will create bigger quilt blocks. Find a simple throw-sized quilt pattern cut from 20 fat quarters of fabric.
- Piece from charm squares - using precut 5-inch squares allows you to skip the cutting and get straight to piecing. I've shared a size chart so you can create any size of Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt from crib to king using charm squares!
No matter which method you choose, you'll learn how to piece the Nine Patch Quilt blocks, then POOF! make them disappear to create this beautiful Disappearing Nine Patch quilt.
This quilt is super fast and easy to make, but it looks much more complex than a typical nine patch quilt. After piecing the 9 patch blocks, you make them disappear by cutting it in half horizontally and vertically.
This creates a unique Quarter Nine Patch block that you can arrange in many creative ways. You can even mix and match your arrangement within the quilt to create complex patchwork unique to the Disappearing Nine Patch block.
Are you interested in more quilt patterns using precut charm squares? Check out our 4 Patch Baby Quilt Pattern or the Brick Baby Quilt Pattern for more quilt tops to make using 5-inch squares.
Jump Ahead in this Brick Quilt Pattern:
Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt from Fat Quarters Materials List Picking Fat Quarters For Your Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Fat Quarter Fabric Cutting How to Piece the Nine Patch Blocks Make Your 9 Patches Disappear! Video 1 - How to Make a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Home Sewing Machine and Tools Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt from 5-inch Squares Materials List Tips for Picking Precut Charm Packs Piece a Disappearing Nine Patch from 5-inch Squares Disappearing Nine Patch Size Chart How to Use the Disappearing Nine Patch Size Chart Quilting Your Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Video 2 - 9 Beginner Quilting Designs Spread the Love and Share this Free Pattern with Your Friends! In Conclusion
Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt from Fat Quarters Materials List
If you are piecing a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt using fat quarters of fabric, here is the list of materials you'll need to create a 52-inch square throw quilt.
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- 10 Fat Quarters (18 x 21 inch pieces) Fabric A –Various flower prints
- 10 Fat Quarters (18 x 21 inch pieces) Fabric B – Solid fabrics to coordinate with Fabric A
- Gray 100% cotton piecing thread
- 18 ½-inch square ruler
- 3 yards of coordinating fabric for backing
- 1/2 yard of fabric for binding
- Throw Sized Batting (at least 60 inches square)
- Sewing machine
- Piecing Thread
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Cutting Ruler
- Hot, Dry Iron
- Firm pressing board
Picking Fat Quarters For Your Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt
Here's a few tips for picking fabrics for this particular patchwork pattern:
- Coordinate Solids and Prints - If you are piecing from fat quarters, check that the fabrics coordinate nicely and no particular colors will stand out. The overall look of a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt is scrappy, but organized depending on how the blocks are arranged.
- Consider a single background solid fabric - Another option that would simplify the look of the Disappearing Nine Patch quilt and make it less scrappy would be to use one solid color of background fabric instead of the fat quarters. If you want to do this, just pick up 2 1/2 yards of a solid color background fabric instead of the 10 solid fat quarters.
- Play with Directional Prints - Directional prints like diagonal lines can make a Disappearing Nine Patch quilt even more interesting!
Fat Quarter Fabric Cutting
An advantage of piecing this quilt from fat quarters is you can wash your fabrics before cutting! For best results, prewash, starch, and press all fabrics before cutting. I share a lot of tips on preparing fabric in this post on building your own firm pressing board.
- Fabric A - Cut 5 – 6 ½-inch squares from each fat quarter (50 total)
- Fabric B - Cut 4 – 6 ½-inch squares from each fat quarter (40 total)
How to Piece the Nine Patch Blocks
Arrange five Fabric A 6 ½-inch squares and four Fabric B 6 ½-inch squares to create the Nine Patch quilt blocks. Remember to lower the stitch length on your sewing machine to 1.5 mm to create a tight, secure stitch.
Piece the block together in three rows of three squares, then piece the rows together, matching the seams. The Nine Patch quilt blocks should measure 18 1/2 inches square at this time.
Repeat this process nine more times to create a total of 10 Nine Patch quilt blocks.
Make Your 9 Patches Disappear!
Align the 18 1/2-inch square ruler over one Nine Patch block with the 9 1/4-inch mark aligned to the side. This will cut the Nine Patch quilt block in half.
Rotate the rectangular pieces and cut them in half again to create four 9 1/4-inch squares.
Repeat this process cutting all the Nine Patch Quilt Blocks into 4 squares to create a total of 40 new Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Blocks.
Video 1 - How to Make a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt
Do you need a video to see how this works? Watch how to create a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt using Fat Quarters in this video:
Home Sewing Machine and Tools
Shop for the sewing tools and supplies I used in this Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Pattern:
In the video I played around with the arrangement a bit to show you a few possibilities for your Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt. You can arrange all the blocks so the small corners meet in the middle like this:
This Disappearing Nine Patch quilt will be very scrappy! With the small corners lined up, you will have to match a lot of seams with each block and each row as well. I really like the effect because it almost puts the 9 patch block back together, but with a fractured effect.
But what happens if you start to rotate the quilt blocks? If you rotate two corner blocks that will put the small squares in two corners and that creates a cool effect for your quilt top as well:
Depending on your background fabric, this could create some very interesting diagonal effects. And yes, you can also put a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt on point too.
But what happens when you use a single, solid color fabric like white for your Fabric B squares? This creates an obvious background and makes the scrappy focal fabric stand out nicely. Here's another layout with the blocks alternating small square up, then small square down in rows:
This is a great arrangement if you're worried about the seam lines not matching exactly on your Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt. The only seam lines that have to match are the ones connecting the blocks together.
Not having to match so many seams will make the quilt piecing much faster so you can complete your quilt top quickly!
As you can see, there are endless arrangements for a Disappearing Nine Patch quilt. You can even mix things up and piece the center of the quilt with the blocks rotated one way, then piece the outer section with the blocks going another direction. The sky is the limit when it comes to this creative patchwork pattern.
Once you've picked a layout for the quilt blocks that you like, arrange them in six rows of six squares. Piece the quilt together in rows, then piece the rows together, matching the seam lines.
Give your 52 inch throw-sized Disappearing Nine Patch a final press and it will be ready for quilting!
Disappearing 9 Patch Quilt from 5-inch Squares Materials List
If you'd like to piece a larger Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt using precut 5-inch squares, commonly called charm packs, here is the materials list you'll follow. I've also included a size chart below so you can create any size of Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt to fit your bed, couch, or crib!
- 45 - 320 Precut 5-inch squares - Fabric A - these will be the squares placed in the corners and middle of the 9 Patch Blocks.
- 36 - 256 Precut 5-inch squares - Fabric B - these squares are placed along the 4 sides of the block and I typically use solid fabrics for these squares
- 15-inch square ruler
- Batting, Backing Fabric, and Binding Fabric purchased to fit the size of quilt you're making (see chart below)
- Sewing machine
- Piecing Thread
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Cutting Ruler
- Hot, Dry Iron
- Firm pressing board
Tips for Picking Precut Charm Packs
If the numbers listed above have you scratching your head, keep in mind that I've included a Disappearing Nine Patch size chart so you can make any size of quilt top from crib to king! Here's a few tips for selecting your charm squares for this quilt:
- Look for extra large charm packs which includes 85 - 101 precut squares. This will ensure you have lots of squares to work with and can quickly piece your 9 patch blocks.
- Use the Same Brand of Precuts - If using precut 5-inch squares, check that they are cut by the same manufacturer. Different brands have different dies for cutting precut fabric squares and some are significantly bigger than others.
- Trim Squares to the Same Size if needed - If your 5-inch squares vary in size, this can make piecing the Nine Patch Blocks challenging. I recommend the Accu Quilt Go! die cutter and this 5-inch cutting die. It speeds up the process because you can trim 8 squares at a time.
Piece a Disappearing Nine Patch from 5-inch Squares
The steps to piecing your Disappearing Nine Patch quilt blocks from charm squares is exactly the same as the process using fat quarters of fabric above.
Arrange your fabrics so that Fabric A squares are positioned in the middle of the 9 patch block and in each corner. You'll need 5 Fabric A squares for each nine patch.
Arrange the Fabric B squares along the four sides of the block. You'll need 4 Fabric B squares for each nine patch.
When you piece the 5-inch precut squares together, the unfinished quilt block will measure 14-inches square.
Slice the nine patch quilt block down the middle to create four 7-inch squares. Arrange these Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt blocks to create your quilt top using the layout ideas above.
Disappearing Nine Patch Size Chart
No matter what size I share a free quilt pattern, there is always a quilter that wants to make it... just bigger!
Follow this size chart to easily create a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt exactly the size you'd like using precut 5-inch squares:
Quilt Size |
Finished Size |
Block Layout |
Total 9 Patch Blocks |
Fabric A Squares |
Fabric B Squares |
Crib Quilt |
39 inches square |
6 x 6 |
9 blocks |
45 |
36 |
Throw Quilt |
52 inches square |
8 x 8 |
16 blocks |
80 |
64 |
Twin Quilt |
65 x 84 1/2 inches |
10 x 13 |
33 blocks |
165 |
132 |
Queen Quilt |
84 1/2 x 91 inches |
13 x 14 |
46 blocks |
230 |
184 |
King Quilt |
97 1/2 x 110 1/2 inches |
15 x 17 |
64 blocks |
320 |
256 |
How to Use the Disappearing Nine Patch Size Chart
I love charts! It's easy to find exactly the information needed and begin piecing quickly. But if this is your first time using a chart, you might need more help. Here's how I use this chart to make the size of Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt I'm wanting to create:
- Pick Your Quilt Size - You really can do anything until you decide how big of a quilt you're wanting to create. Do you need a new queen-sized quilt for your bed? Wanting a fun throw to piece in a few days? This is the first decision that guides all the others.
- Pull Your Fabrics - Once you've determined your quilt size, you'll need to refer to the last two columns of the chart - Fabric A and Fabric B squares. This is the total number of 5-inch precut squares you will need to piece your blocks. Start counting! Make sure you have all the squares you need before you begin piecing.
- Piece the Nine Patch Blocks - Using the Fabric A and B 5-inch squares you've selected, arrange and piece the total number of 9 inch blocks listed in the middle of the chart. Follow the steps above to piece the 14-inch blocks, then cut them in half to create the 7-inch Disappearing Nine Patch quilt blocks.
- Arrange Blocks According to the Block Layout - Now that your pieces are cut into 7-inch unfinished squares, you're ready to arrange your quilt. Arrange the pieces according to the Block Layout listed in the 3rd column. Example: for a throw quilt made from precut 5-inch squares, you'll need to arrange the blocks in 8 rows of 8 blocks each.
- Piece the Quilt Top - Piece the blocks together in rows, then piece the rows together, matching seams. Done!
Quilting Your Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt
With your Disappearing Nine Patch quilt top pieced, any size you like, it's time to get it quilted! First layer the quilt top with batting in the middle and backing fabric to create your quilt sandwich.
If you've never layered or basted a quilt before, definitely check out my quilting workshop Basting Basics. This online quilting class will teach you all the steps to basting your quilts securely in a variety of methods.
Here's a selection of tools and supplies that can make quilting your Disappearing Nine Patch quilt easier on your home sewing machine:
Video 2 - 9 Beginner Quilting Designs
Disappearing Nine Patch quilts are scrappy and scrappy quilts are very fun to quilt with edge to edge quilting or all over quilting designs. Watch this video to learn nine beginner quilting designs that will be a great choice for quilting this quilt:
No, you don't have to have a Qnique 16X longarm machine in order to quilt your Disappearing Nine Patch quilt. But having the quilt loaded on a rolling rail quilting frame and being able to stitch all the way across it from one edge to the other makes quilting big quilts feel easy and fun.
Just in case you'd like to learn how to quilt a king sized quilt on your home machine set in a table, yes, I've taught that too! Click Here to learn how to quilt a king on a home machine.
Spread the Love and Share this Free Pattern with Your Friends!
I hope you've enjoyed this free quilt pattern and making any size of Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt. Whether you decide to cut your fabric from fat quarters or piece using precut 5-inch squares, you're ready to make the perfect size quilt and start quilting with simple designs. Make sure to share this free nine patch quilt pattern with your quilting friends. Feel free to use this design for charity quilts or to make and sell if desired.
If you liked this quilting project, I have a few more precut 5-inch square patterns for you to check out:
In Conclusion
I originally designed this free Disappearing Nine Patch quilt pattern using fat quarters of fabric to make a simple throw sized quilt. But these days, I just don't have time to cut dozens of squares. I need to get straight to piecing!
That's why I've started piecing more quilts using precut fabrics. They are easy to use, easy to find, and fast and fun to work with. I hope you'll take a look at your charm pack collection today and see how big of a Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt you can create. I'd love to see a picture of your finished quilt, so make sure to contact us and send in a picture so we can add it to this tutorial.
Let's go quilt,
Leah Day
