tutorial: disappearing four patch

Just a little AddOn right here.

I don't sew many traditional quilt pattern lately, but our church started a little quilting club with a few really extraordinary and sweet ladies. So one of these ladies showed us such an easy way to make a frame blocked out of a simple four patch. I believe it is called the disappearing four patch.

I found the fabric for the center block in a small quilt shop in Southhampton, MA, over five years ago. I collected a few coordinating fabrics for it and planned on using it for the girls before they would outgrow it, but until now, never got to it. The light colors somehow stopped me from using it. After we didn't actually get to try out this technique at the little club last time yet, I just got this special stash of fabric out and played tonight. And truly it's so easy.

Step 1: Cut four squares all the same size. Mine were all 6" squares.

Step 2:  Sew the top two squares together and the bottom two squares. Iron them open.

Step 3: Sew the top and the bottom row together to a four patch. Iron open.

Step 4:  I choose the yellow square as my middle square, so I measure the row above. My squares were 6", so measure 3" of the top row. You need to measure half of your orginal width.

Step 5: I cut the 3" off I measured in the previous step to sew them back on at bottom.

Step 6: This is how it looks after you add the cut off part back on and turn it 90 degrees.

Step 8:  I measure 3" from the top row again to cut off. You need to take half off your orginal width. to add on at the bottom.

That's all it is to do. Have fun with it.

Pssst. Just one hint. Watch out which fabric you do NOT want to cut because I cut once the yellow I did not plan one. Even I like my mishap now, I was not to happy at that moment.