A simple nine patch quilt is probably my favorite quilt design. It's beginner friendly, yet also classic and timeless. I'm about to show you the best 9 patch I've made in a while and tell you why finishing it myself was the best choice. 

I have made several different nine patch quilts in my days quilting. However, the ones I have made using Indian fabrics are my favorites. 

A couple years ago I found some beautiful fabrics when we were living in India and decided to use them to make the nine patch quilt in the image below. I chose this design because each fabric was so beautiful, most were woven and had different unique details. I wanted the quilt to be simple so the fabrics would be the focus. 

I really wasn't sure how the fabrics would sew up. Would they be good for quilting? Many were light weight with a lower thread count. All were 100% cotton. 

What resulted was one of my favorite quilts! It's one of those ones that's always out. Maybe it's partly because it reminds me of the beauty of India. Or it could be the incredible soft texture. Either way, I absolutely love this quilt! 

I loved this quilt so much I decided to bring back fabric to make another version you could also make! 

This second version has more pinks and yellows. It's bright in the best way. I think describing it as sun-kissed and cheerful is just about perfect. 

The Sun-kissed 9 Patch Quilt Kit is made of nine different unique fabrics. Each one is either handwoven or has some detail added to make each fabric special. The warm colors work together with pops of bright mustard yellow and different shades of pink. 



The quilt kit includes the pattern I used which is called "9 Patch Quilt For Every Quilter". It's a great beginner quilt pattern and it can be made with any fabric line.

Each block has one square of each fabric in it. I like to randomly sew my blocks together in batches. 

First, I pull one square of each fabric. Then, sew them into the three rows. I pin those rows together and start sewing the next block. Later I come back and press the seams all at once before sewing the rows of each block together. 

Each block measures 12 1/2 in. x 12 1/2 in. This throw size quilt finishes at 60 in. x 72 in. 

Sewing with woven fabrics can be frustrating. Depending on the fabric, some can fray very easily. I like to starch my fabric when ironing. This gives a nice even cut, and helps reduce fraying. 

I basted and quilted this at home on my Janome sewing machine. The image above is after I had basted and stitched in the ditch horizontally and vertically.

What is stitching in the ditch? 

Stitching in the ditch is a method of quilting which makes the seams almost invisible. You follow the seam as a guide and stitch directly to the right. This also helps secure and reinforce the seam. I have only done this one other time and it was on the first version of this quilt. So my seams are decent, but by no means perfect. 

I like how stitching in the ditch highlights each square. I almost left the quilting like this without adding diagonal lines. But I thought for durability adding diagonal lines would be best. 

When I look at this quilt it makes me want to grab a cup of tea and cuddle up in front of the fire during a snow storm. It's got those yummy, cozy vibes!

Sometimes I get lazy and want to send all my quilts to my amazing quilter. But when I take the time to finish a quilt myself it feels so satisfying. I think I end up loving the quilt a little more because there is even more of me in it. 

The best news of all... if you love this quilt, you can make your own. Get your Sun-kissed Nine Patch Quilt Kit and pattern here. Then you too will have a piece of my favorite place. That's India, incase you didn't get it.