Sudoku puzzles are 9-patch compatible

Need a quick layout for a scrappy 9 patch quilt? Look no further than the Sunday paper's puzzle page, your browser window, or an app on your smart phone. The Choo Choo Quilters enjoyed a program featuring Sudoku quilts at the August guild meeting.

Sudoku  Quilt

Sudoku, a numbers-based puzzle, uses a 9x9 grid—not unlike the 9-patch blocks we use in patchwork. If you like puzzles, you can work the Sudoko puzzle and use the resulting solution as a layout for a 9-patch quilt.

Solving the Suduko puzzle.

Becky, the program presenter, explained the concept of Sudoku puzzle and then shared her tips for organizing fabrics for the patchwork process.

Becky explains the Suduko block.

Organizing your fabrics is the key to making these quilts. All you fans of sticky notes™will feel right at home with this tip.

Organizing the fabrics.

You'll need 9 different fabrics to achieve a true Sudoku block. The fabric squares used to assemble the blocks can be most any size.

Small patches.

Larger patches.

The puzzle's solution is the roadmap for block assembly and quilt layout. The blocks can be sashed, set side by side, or on point.

Sudoko patchwork.

There are many varieties of Sudoku puzzles and degrees of difficulty—from easy to fiendish. You can challenge yourself to solve the puzzle… or go directly to the Answers page and make a quilt.

Show and Tell
Here's a great idea for those fabric scraps and batting trimmings. Fill-as-you-go dog beds. This one uses a novelty fabric with cute "wiener dogs" on it. Ginny recommends NOT to put threads in the scraps for stuffing in case the animal chews or pokes a hole in the fabric cover and the stuffing comes out.

Dog bed stuffed with fabric scraps and batting trimmings.

Dogs beds will be given to a local animal shelter if anyone would like to make one or contribute scraps. The dogs will love them!