Quilt block · Nine-patch · Intermediate
Alabama quilt block
A nine-patch in the middle, framed by three rounds of strips with a square at the corners of every round.
What to cut for one block
A 6″ finished block measures 6½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.
Background · Snow in the picture
8 strips
- B4 rectangles 5¼″ × 1¼″then cut with template B
- D4 rectangles 2½″ × 1¼″then cut with template D
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 strips and 4 squares
- C4 rectangles 3⅞″ × 1¼″then cut with template C
- A4 squares 1¼″then cut with template A
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
17 squares
- A17 squares 1¼″then cut with template A
Between the lines. Alabama cuts cleanly at 4½″ or 9″. At 6″ its squares are ⅔″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
A 9″ finished block measures 9½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.
Background · Snow in the picture
8 strips
- B4 rectangles 7½″ × 1½″
- D4 rectangles 3½″ × 1½″
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 strips and 4 squares
- C4 rectangles 5½″ × 1½″
- A4 squares 1½″
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
17 squares
- A17 squares 1½″
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
A 12″ finished block measures 12½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.
Background · Snow in the picture
8 strips
- B4 rectangles 9⅞″ × 1⅞″then cut with template B
- D4 rectangles 4½″ × 1⅞″then cut with template D
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 strips and 4 squares
- C4 rectangles 7¼″ × 1⅞″then cut with template C
- A4 squares 1⅞″then cut with template A
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
17 squares
- A17 squares 1⅞″then cut with template A
Between the lines. Alabama cuts cleanly at 9″ or 13½″. At 12″ its squares are 1⅓″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
How it’s sewn
For the 6″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Light A pieces and a Dark C piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Light A pieces and a Background D piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Light A pieces and a Dark A piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Dark A pieces and a Light A piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section, 2½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Background D pieces and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Dark C pieces and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Make 2 sections, 7½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Light A squares and a Dark C rectangle together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 7½″ × 1½″ (7″ × 1″ finished).
- Make 2 sections, 5½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Light A squares and a Background D rectangle together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5½″ × 1½″ (5″ × 1″ finished).
- Make 2 sections, 3½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Light A squares and a Dark A square together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ × 1½″ (3″ × 1″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 3½″ × 1½″
Sew 2 Dark A squares and a Light A square together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ × 1½″ (3″ × 1″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 3½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 5½″ × 3½″
Sew 2 Background D rectangles and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 5½″ × 3½″ (5″ × 3″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 5½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 5½″ (5″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 7½″ × 5½″
Sew 2 Dark C rectangles and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 7½″ × 5½″ (7″ × 5″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 7½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 7½″ (7″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Light A pieces and a Dark C piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Light A pieces and a Background D piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 Light A pieces and a Dark A piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Dark A pieces and a Light A piece together in a row. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section, 4½″
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Each measures 4½″ (4″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Background D pieces and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 Dark C pieces and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
Blocks like it
More like this: Nine-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
At 9″ every piece measures with a ruler. On its 9 × 9 grid, 6″ and 12″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 9″ or 13½″.
Can I paper piece it?
Yes. It splits into 9 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I), each sewn on its own paper in order and then joined with straight seams. In Quarter Inch, the Foundations tab prints its papers at true size (with Quilter).
Is it a good block for a beginner?
It’s an intermediate block: 33 pieces in 4 different shapes. Take it slowly and check each piece against the list. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.