Disappearing Nine Patch Block

I have joined a new bee: Simply solids bee and somewhat foolishly (in retrospect because I didn't know we were going to have a fire and end up with no roof!) I volunteered to be Queen Bee for March. I have been agonising over what block to choose and have gone through many different blocks still uncertain what to pick. I really wanted to do the birch trees blocks from Crazy Mom Quilts but as it is a commercial pattern that had to be rejected.

I have finally decided on a very simple block-the disappearing nine patch block. This is as it says on the tin: a nine patch

The nine patches are made of 5 inch squares  and it requires 4 white patches in the order shown, one aqua patch in the middle and 4 coloured patches at the corners.These are sewn together

and then sliced up as follows exactly down the middle in both directions

 

 This produces 4 blocks which measure 7 inches square.

These 7 inch blocks are then trimmed on the white edge to 6 1/2 inches. The white edge should then measure 1 3/4 inches

Once trimmed the blocks are sewn together in the following arrangement to make a 12 1/2 inch block

 

 

 

There are many different ways to arrange this block but this one is known as the i-spy arrangement. I'm going to make the quilt top in a range of blues and greens.

I'll probably make the birch trees blocks as the back to make a double sided quilt for my niece. Although the block is simple  it is therefore essential to get the smaller blocks to line up properly. I find it easier to do this if my seams are ironed open rather than to the side.

 

I'm going skiing tomorrow with my lovely daughter (who was 24!!! onThursday). Mr Hare and I can't go away together because we can't leave the house unattended with a hole in the roof.We are still wrangling with the insurance company but that is another story altogether.