Exploring the Basics: The Disappearing Four Patch

When is a four patch MORE than a four patch?  When it disappears!  The disappearing four patch, cousin to the disappearing nine patch, works on the same general principal. Not familiar with the Disappearing Nine Patch either?  Visit my post about it here.

Like the Disappearing Nine Patch, the Disappearing Four patch begins with...you guessed it, a four patch block!  Then you make cuts to the pieced four patch and reassemble the block.  Let's take a look.

Disappearing Four Patch - Step One

Begin with a basic four patch.  This can be two colors, three colors, or even four colors for a totally scrappy effect.  What size?  Well you can work with any size, but keep in mind that you'll be making cuts and your block is going to shrink - by about 2"!

Disappearing Four Patch Step 2

Make a cut to the right and to the left of the center seam, and then to the top and bottom of the center seam.  Most commonly, these cuts are the same distance from the center seam.  In my example above, I started with 4 1/2" strips (so an 8 1/2" unfinished four patch), and I cut 1 1/2" to the left and right of the center seam and 1 1/2" from the top and bottom of the center seam. 

This gives you four rectangles and five squares (counting the center pieced square).

Disappearing Four Patch Step 3

Rotate the center rectangles.  If you sew together at this point, it gives the effect of small floating squares in the center.

If you rotate ALL of the units, then the colors alternate across and down.  Really there is no wrong or right here - you can play with it to achieve whatever effect you want.

Disappearing Four Patch Step 4

Here is the completed block, sewn together.  With symmetrical cuts, you have a center four patch with rectangular side units.

But then I had a thought - what if you did asymmetrical cuts?  Well, let's see!

Asymmetrical Disappearing Four Patch

This time I made a cut 1 1/2" to the right of the center seam, and 1 1/2" to the top of the center seam.  I then did a cut 2 1/4" to the left of the center seam, and 2 1/4" to the bottom of the center seam.  Already it is looking interesting!

So how to rotate the units?  Because I was working with solids, I could easily just rotate the units so that my colors alternated.

Once I sewed the three rows together, I again had options - do I sew the three rows together as I had originally laid them out?

Or....do I put my original top row on the bottom of the block for a completely different look?  Hmmm.....so many options!

In the end I sewed them together as I had originally laid them out.  But the possibilities are endless!  I'm thinking of combining different color combinations and mixing units from different blocks to get an entirely different effect!

Head over to Kate's blog to get some additional ideas on this fun little block.

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