Your first quilt: a nine-patch throw, planned to the inch

Quick answer A nine-patch throw of 80 blocks makes a 52 × 64" quilt. Buy 1⅞ yd of a main fabric, 1⅝ yd of background, 1⅛ yd for the border and binding and 3½ yd of backing. Every piece is a 2½" square, so the whole quilt is cut from 2½" strips.

The nine-patch is the perfect first quilt: only squares, only straight seams, and it looks great in any two fabrics with good contrast. It teaches the three skills every quilt needs: an accurate ¼" seam, pressing, and matching seams where they meet. This plan makes a 52 × 64" throw from 80 blocks of 6", and every number in it comes from the Quiltkind engine.

What you'll need

Fabric	Amount
Main fabric (sage in our example)	1⅞ yd
Background (cream)	1⅝ yd
Border and binding (mustard)	1⅛ yd
Backing	3½ yd

These include ⅛ yd extra per fabric for straightening the edges. You'll also need batting of at least 60 × 72" (a twin-size batting fits), a rotary cutter, a mat, a 6 × 24" ruler, thread in a neutral colour, and pins.

Choosing fabric: pick a main fabric and a background that are clearly different in value (one light, one darker), so the pattern shows. A small print or a solid works best for the squares. Save big, busy prints for the border or the backing.

Cutting

Every piece is a 2½" square, cut from 2½" strips across the width of the fabric. Each strip gives 16 squares.

1. Main fabric: cut 25 strips 2½" wide, then 400 squares.
2. Background: cut 20 strips 2½" wide, then 320 squares.
3. Border and binding: cut 6 strips 2½" for the border and 7 strips 2½" for the binding.
4. Backing: cut 2 pieces 60" long. Trim the selvages and join them along the long edges with a ½" seam.

Fold the fabric selvage to selvage, straighten one edge, then cut strips by measuring from that edge. Check every few strips that the fold is still square to the ruler: if strips start to bend into a "V" at the fold, straighten the edge again.

The faster way: strip sets

You don't have to cut 720 little squares. Sew whole strips together first, then cut them into rows:

1. Main–background–main sets: sew 10 strip sets of main, background, main. Press the seams towards the main fabric. Cut each set into 16 segments 2½" wide: 160 segments.
2. Background–main–background sets: sew 5 strip sets of background, main, background. Press towards the main fabric. Cut 80 segments.
3. Each block is two main–background–main segments with one background–main–background segment between them.

It uses exactly the same 25 main strips and 20 background strips, but you sew 15 long seams instead of hundreds of short ones, and every row comes out the same.

Sewing

1. Test your seam. Sew three 2½" squares together and measure: the row should be 6½" long. If it's shorter, your seam is too wide; if longer, too narrow. Adjust before you sew anything else.
2. Rows of three. For each block, sew main–background–main and background–main–background rows (or use the strip-set segments). Press the seams towards the main fabric.
3. Blocks. Sew three rows into a nine-patch. Because the seams in neighbouring rows are pressed in opposite directions, they nest: butt them together and the corners meet exactly. Pin at each seam. Each block should measure 6½" square.
4. Chain piece. Feed block after block through the machine without cutting the thread between them. It's faster and saves thread.
5. Rows of blocks. Lay out 8 blocks across and 10 down. Sew them into rows, then sew the rows together, nesting seams again. Your top measures 48½ × 60½".
6. Border. Join the 6 border strips end to end. Cut 2 pieces 60½" for the sides, sew them on, then 2 pieces 52½" for the top and bottom. Measure your top through the middle before cutting: if it's not quite 60½", cut the borders to what you measure.
7. Quilt and bind. Layer backing, batting and top, quilt it, then bind with the 7 joined binding strips.

Quilting it

For a first quilt, keep the quilting simple:

• Straight lines with a walking foot. Stitch ¼" from the seams between blocks, or diagonally through the squares from corner to corner. A walking foot feeds the three layers evenly so they don't shift.
• Tie it. Knot thread or yarn through all three layers at each block corner. It's quick and suits a cosy throw, but check that your batting allows ties that far apart.
• Send it to a longarm quilter. If you'd rather not quilt it yourself, ask what extra they need around the backing first. Most want 4" on every side, which is what this plan's 3½ yd allows.

Baste the layers first with safety pins every hand's width, or with spray baste, starting from the centre and smoothing outwards.

Pressing

Press, don't iron: lift the iron and set it down, rather than sliding it, so the pieces don't stretch. Press each seam flat first to set the stitches, then open the piece and press the seam to one side. The direction matters for nesting, so follow the steps above.

Make it any size

The same quilt at the five standard sizes, each worked out again by the engine (blocks, borders, binding and backing):

Size	Finished	Blocks	Fabric to buy
Baby	34 × 46"	5 across × 7 down	Sage 1 yd, Cream ¾ yd, Mustard ¾ yd, Backing 1⅝ yd
Throw	52 × 64"	8 across × 10 down	Sage 1⅞ yd, Cream 1⅝ yd, Mustard 1⅛ yd, Backing 3½ yd
Twin	70 × 88"	11 across × 14 down	Sage 3⅝ yd, Cream 2⅞ yd, Mustard 1⅜ yd, Backing 5½ yd
Queen	88 × 100"	14 across × 16 down	Sage 5 yd, Cream 4⅛ yd, Mustard 1½ yd, Backing 8⅛ yd
King	106 × 106"	17 across × 17 down	Sage 6½ yd, Cream 5¼ yd, Mustard 1¾ yd, Backing 9⅝ yd

Each size links to its full cutting plan. You can also plan it from a bundle: a jelly roll makes a 64 × 76" version with a background.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the seam test. A seam ⅛" too wide on every seam makes each block ½" too small, and the rows won't match.
• Pressing every seam the same way. Then they can't nest, and the corners won't meet.
• Cutting all the borders from the pattern measurement. Measure your own top first.
• Trimming the selvages too late. Trim them before cutting the backing; they shrink differently and pucker.
• Low contrast. If the main fabric and background are close in value, the nine-patches blur. Check with a black-and-white photo.

Frequently asked questions

How much fabric do I need for a nine-patch throw?

For a 52 × 64" throw of 80 blocks: 1⅞ yd of the main fabric, 1⅝ yd of background, 1⅛ yd for the border and binding, and 3½ yd of backing.

What size squares for a 6" nine-patch?

Cut 2½" squares. Three of them sewn together make a 6½" row, and the finished block is 6" once it's sewn into the quilt.

How many nine-patch blocks for a throw?

80 blocks of 6", 8 across and 10 down, make a 48 × 60" top, or 52 × 64" with a 2" border.

Is a nine-patch good for a beginner?

Yes. It's only squares and straight seams, and it teaches accurate seams, pressing and matching corners, the skills every other quilt builds on.

Can I make a nine-patch from a charm pack or jelly roll?

Yes. A jelly roll's 2½" strips are exactly the right width: with a background fabric, a jelly roll makes a 64 × 76" nine-patch. A charm pack makes a smaller one, about 34 × 40".