Blooming nine patch is an intriguing quilt pattern. It gives the impression of a color wash with nothing but 9-patch and same-size solid squares! The pattern was first published in 1996 by Blanche Young with her daughter, Dalene Young Stone, in their book Tradition With a Twist. Another daughter, Helen Young Frost, continued the tradition in her book, Radiant Sunshine & Shadow.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tradition with a Twist, Helen Frost created a beautiful NEW quilt in colors of the sunset. Also, scroll down for a free Artisan batiks pattern by Robert Kaufman Fabrics!
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Perenially Blooming Nine Patch by Helen Frost, quilted by Kris Neifeld
The Blooming Nine Patch is the most popular quilt from Tradition With a Twist, and thousands of quilters have made one. Each solid block alternates with a nine-patch that uses the two adjacent fabrics, creating a subtle transition from one fabric to the next, as shown in the closeup photo below.
You might also enjoy this free Luminous Nine Patch pattern by Robert Kaufman Fabrics (CLICK for PDF download!)
Image credits: Photos of Perenially Blooming Nine Patch were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2026 Tucson Quilters Guild show. NOTE: Quilt Inspiration is an Amazon Associate, meaning we earn a small commission if an item is purchased from any Amazon link on this page. (There is no extra charge to you.) Thank you for your support of Quilt Inspiration.
