Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Sorry, (Not Sorry), This Is NOT a Nine Patch Variation

If you've signed up to receive the email newsletter from the International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, you were treated to a photo of this glorious Civil War era antique quilt by an unknown maker yesterday:


93.5 x 85.5 Quilt From IQM Collection, circa 1860-1880


Look at the masterful color and value placement and deployment of design principles in this quilt that was created by someone who definitely did not have a "design wall" and probably didn't have any formal art training, either.  I love how those two opposite L-shaped brackets of darker blocks and the dark brown blocks surrounding the blue ones in the center create framing and structure similar to a medallion quilt for a one-block quilt that could have been dizzyingly busy with a random block placement.  I love how the strips of pink blocks do the same thing, but with more subtlety.  I love the glimmer of the teal center patches and the one block with the bright blue.  I was immediately captivated by this quilt, but scratched my head by its designation by the museum as a "Nine Patch Variation" and the newsletter description stating that this quilt contained "small diamonds" in addition to squares, rectangles and triangle patches.  

Hunh?  See newsletter screenshot below:




When you click through to read the full information about this quilt on the IQM web site, they further identify the block as Brackman 2033, which I pulled up in my EQ8 Blockbase program; see screen shot below:


Sorry, Nope, Brackman 2033 Is Not the Right Block


Okay, so you could make a SIMILAR quilt to this one with Brackman #2033 if you set it on point and alternated it with unequal 9 Patch blocks that had plain center squares, but you wouldn't be able to recreate those striking vertical and horizontal medallion-like bands that I love so much about this quilt.  I could not find an identical block to the one in this quilt in any of my EQ8 block libraries, so I drafted it myself:


THIS is the 5 inch Block in the Antique Quilt


Some people keep their brains sharp by playing the New York Times Crossword Puzzle; others of us like to play How Did They Make That Antique Quilt?  So I continued playing in my software.  Given the number of blocks in the quilt and the size of the finished quilt as stated on the museum's web site, I calculated that the blocks in the antique quilt are currently around 4.675" to 4.72".  I decided that the blocks in the original quilt probably started out finishing at 5" and then the shrinkage of quilting and subsequent laundering reduced them to their current size.  I went with 5" and instructed EQ8 to round my measurements to the nearest 1/16" for rotary cutting, but had I wanted to be super authentic I could have set my finished block size at 4.75" instead.  Rounding is optional, by the way -- I could have printed out templates for hand piecing at any odd size I wanted, but there are over 10,000 patches in this quilt so I think machine piecing is the way to go.  If I actually make this quilt.  I printed out the photo of the antique quilt inspiration and my rotary cutting chart.  I have other projects in progress and waiting patiently to be started.  But before setting this one aside, look at how busy and bland this quilt looks in the EQ8 software rendering where I just quickly repeated one block with no variety in fabrics, color or value to give that medallion effect:


EQ8 Mockup Using Identical Fabrics in Every Block


Now look at the antique quilt again, incorporating so many different fabrics in such a thoughtful, deliberate layout:


Antique Quilt, Same Size, Same Blocks, Many Fabrics


See why I'm smitten?  Meanwhile, I'm dragging along with getting my new studio unpacked and organized.  Bernie put these pendant lights about my worktable island and now I'm much, MUCH happier with my lighting situation.  Two lights instead of one helps reduce shadowing and I have 100 watt equivalent LED bulbs in each pendant so I should be able to clearly see ruler lines and hopefully avoid slicing into my fingers even when working late at night.  


Let There Be Light!!


The things I'm still dragging my feet over are the boxes containing garment fabrics, interfacings, patterns, etc., as garment projects are the ones I would have looped my mom in on in the past.  I also haven't figured out storage for my collection of AccuQuilt dies and cutting machines or my supply of quilt batting and books.  Hopefully I'll make headway with some of that today.  Last time I posted, these were my goals:

Looking forward:

  • Continue unpacking and organizing sewing supplies
  • Unpack serger and set up in its cabinet
  • Install firmware update for B990 sewing machine 
  • Finish setting up and testing the long arm quilting machine: realign leader centers, install side clamps, check tolerances etc.
  • Find my FrankenWhiggish blocks and put them on the design wall
  • Prep the next Stonefields block for stitching

Hmmm...  I guess I did get some of those things done!  It's hard to realize I've made any progress at all when SO MUCH remains to be done!  Looking at that list now, I see two easy things I can do right this minute.  I did find my FrankenWhiggish project and I think I'll put them up on the design wall right after lunch.  Not sure why I'm procrastinating installing the B990 sewing machine update because it's super quick and easy, so I'll try to get that done today, too.  Hold me accountable, friends!!  As for the Stonefields block and any other actual stitching, well, I still have quite a mess in my studio but I'm working my way through it.  

I'm linking up today's post with my favorite linky parties:

Thus Spake
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