How to Sew This Easy, Scrappy Split Nine Patch Quilt Block - a Free Tutorial

Today I dug into my scraps to bring you this tutorial for a beginner-friendly, scrappy block called Split Nine Patch. With only Half Square Triangles and squares, the block goes together quickly and has lots of layout options (several are toward the end of the tutorial). Let's get sewing!

Fabric Requirements for a 6" Finished Split Nine Patch:

• Assorted Lights: 3 - 3" squares, and 3 - 2.5" squares
• Assorted Darks: 3 - 3" squares, and 3 - 2.5" squares

Sewing Directions:

Half Square Triangle Units:

Step 1:

Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the three Light 3" squares as shown below.

Step 2:

Match up one of the Step 1 squares with a Dark 3" square and stitch 1/4" on both sides of the diagonal line (top image).

Cut along the diagonal line (second image). You will have two identical units - only one is needed and the other is an extra for another block.

Open up the units, press toward the Dark fabric, and trim the units to 2.5" square (bottom images). 

Step 3:

Repeat Step 2 for a total of six Half Square Triangle (HST) units. You only need three HSTs but since I wanted this block to be really scrappy looking, I made six. The extra three HSTs can be used in another block.

Putting It All Together:

Step 4:

Lay out the three Step 3 HSTs, the three Light 2.5" squares, and the three Dark 2.5" squares as shown in the picture below. Make sure that all the lights are on one half of the block and all the darks are on the other half.

Step 5:

Sew the units together in three rows as shown below.

Step 6:

Press the seam allowances as shown in the picture below. For the top and bottom rows, the seams are pressed toward the center and for the middle row, the seams are pressed away from the center of the row.

Step 7:

Sew the three rows together to complete the block!

Step 8:

And finally, press the seam allowances away from the center of the block as shown below.

Layout Options:

Here's the basic layout for this block:

Now the blocks have been arranged to create diagonal stripes across the quilt top.

And here they are arranged in a diamond pattern.

And now for a bunch of pinwheels.

And here you'll get a star with diamonds in between the stars.

And here you have alternating dark and light diamonds. I've used the same coloring for all the blocks so it's not near as scrappy as it should be!

Conclusion:

This Split Nine Patch block was quick and fun to sew together. It has so many layout options (certainly more than what I've showed here) that all look amazing! You could also use medium and dark colored fabrics or medium and light colored fabrics for a totally different look. Just make sure you have enought contrast between the two so the design doesn't get lost. Also, using two different colorways such as red scraps and green scrapes would make a beautiful quilt.

I hope you've enjoyed this scrappy Split Nine Patch quilt block tutorial. If you liked this post and want to see more quilting tutorials like this, simply click here to sign up for my newsletter and also receive a free PDF quilt pattern called Chained Weathervane.