Jack's chain piecing help
 

I recently found a pattern, and bought it, that is based on Jack's chain. I love the scrappy multicolors with white squares. The pattern had no piecing the main block directions. I know how to do y seams and partials, but I am having a hard time figuring out piecing order and construction. I emailed the designer, and she was not much help. I understand how the big blocks go together, but not how to individually piece them. Thanks. Anyone have visuals somewhere?

I just made one similar to Jack's chain over the winter. Yes there are Y seams and lots of them. I laid the pieces out they way they should be in a block and started sewing them together. I learned to start and stop a Y seam 1/4 inch from the edge. If I sewed the seam to the edge, the blocks did not lay right and the seam pulled the blocks wrong. I also learned that with the triangle pieces, they are equal sides but 2 of the sides are on the bias. Always have the straight edge of the triangle on the outside edge of the block. This makes it much easier to sew the rows together. I will be happy to help you if I can with any tips I learned along the way. This is not an easy pattern but I love a challenge. I attached a picture of mine so you can maybe see how I did mine. You can not be in a hurry for this one. The pattern i used is called Rainbow of Rings.

Beautifully done, MaryB119!!

Maryb119-absolutely beautiful quilt. Love your fabrics-they make the quilt look so springy.

Maryb119, I love your quilt. Jack's Chain has always been a pattern I liked.

MaryB119 that is gorgeous.

i wish you well, it's not an easy pattern. but most not-easy patterns can be done with one step at a time

MaryB, that is a gorgeous quilt!

Jack's Chain is on my bucket list. MaryB, yours is lovely. Great job.

Lovely. Another one on my bucket list.

Beautiful quilt. I love it and am looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.

What a lovely quilt MaryB.

Iswan, I hope you get a response from your email that will help you. I love the pattern but have a few others on my bucket list before I tackle this one.

Beautiful quilt, MaryB! Thanks, Native Texan for the link. Page 2 is great at showing the piecing. Now it makes sense to me!

I didn't save any of the progress photos when I made my jack's chain, but is the route I took.

To make blocks, I sewed the individual triangles to squares, then one at a time those pieces to the hex. Each time I started with the square to hex seam, then the connecting tri to square seam. I found triangles to be slightly wonkier to get my seam to stop 1/4" from the end, so if there was a choice I would sew to squares first.

One too few stitches was better than one too many for my starts and stops!

I considered a hex with a border of 6 triangles and 6 squares to be a block, with filler triangles between to make a row. To make the row, I would match the blocks and sew a seam between 2 triangles of the blocks, and then go back and fill in the extra tri above and below.

Putting rows together was not super difficult but was tedious. Each seam should be matched individually with the same starts and stops as for making blocks. I did read that you could sew all along a row continuously but I did not find that to be the case.

I ended up doing some hand sewing for the last rows. I would hand baste some intersections with a few stitches before going back to machine sew the seam.

This was my first piece (only so far!) with lots of Y-seams and by the end I was both sick of them and much better at them! Deliberate practice! I cannot emphasize enough that if I piece isn't laying right, try taking out a stitch or two at your starts and stops before ripping out an entire seam. In the end, I went back and hand-sewed a few intersections to make them fit better.

Rebecca, that is beautiful. I have actually started my Jack's chain. I saw a picture and said, "I must make that."
I only have a few of the nine patches made, so am very happy to see the pattern and get the directions.

I'm working on one of these right now, so I was thrilled to see this thread! I've made 12 blocks and I want to make a baby quilt out of these. I've decided to just applique triangles in the spaces between the blocks, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to add fabric to get a rectangular shape for the quilt. I'd love to hear suggestions.

I love that pattern!! Nice work, ladies!

I've seen a version of this pattern done by Nancy McNally. Her version is easier. I'm considering trying hers, but cannot find the magazine it is in~~

Those Jack's Chains are just WOW, congrats to the ladies who have made those!

I'm impressed with your dedication! Wow ladies! Beautiful work.

That is gorgeous and I love the scrappiness of it. I'd love to make one - someday.

Bravo! Well done.

Would love to know what magazine you found the easier directions, Mariposa, if you can figure it out.
I did find a link to purchase it.
https://nancymcnallyquilts.com/produ...ound-the-block

...... and the Y seams have been poofed in this version!

Thanks for all the insight. The main problem I have is this: what order do I sew the nine patch blocks and the triangles and the center hexagon? I can sew y seams, but the order to sew the whole circle is the problem.
The other problem is how many and what kind of blocks do I sew? Some look to be whole circles, some not. The Quilters cache one has connecting rows of hexagons and triangles. The pattern I bought has one large diagram with whole circle blocks and partial ones, but no order of piecing and sewing the units. It is one things to have a schematic of the whole quilt, it is another to show the piecing diagrams and order. I emailed her, but she did not see my point. The quilt I saw on the pattern site and in her blog was the colorway she gave instructions for, although I thought it was part of the pattern, she called it a variation, but no instructions.

Visuals often help.
Perhaps give us the link to the quilt you are referencing, that is on her site.

try Carpelanam.blogspot.com. I found a good tutorial that shows how to make the chains and connectors

I think these instructions put the quilt together in a way that doesn't yield the secondary circles that I find so charming with this pattern, and that I am trying to achieve.

Loving the pattern and amazed at the difference the colors make.
Thank you to every poster.

I think I posted before on this pattern - as I renamed it 'Jack the Ripper'. The pattern I followed was in a book by Deloa Jones. I also had a hard time with the Y Seams, so I remember somehow struggling through it by just 'smashing those seams' with a steam iron. Made my way through it, and got first place in our Quilt Show! It really is beautiful when done, so just patiently figure out your own easiest way to accomplish it. Good luck!!!! It will be worth it.

I am posting a couple pictures of how to sew the blocks into rows. There are no long seams in this quilt. My seams were all 3 inches long start to finish. Just remember to do each seam individually starting 1/4 inch inside the edge and stopping 1/4 inch from the edge. This allows the pieces to fit together better. Also, the triangles are the same size on all 3 sides so one side will be ont he straight grain of the fabric. Place the straight grain on the outside edge of the block. It will be much easier to sew the long rows together with the straig of grain on the outside of the blocks.

thanks for the pics

Thank you, Mary, for the visual.
I did not know if I had to make partial circles and whole circles, but this explains the connecting triangles.
The quilt pattern I bought, the multicolor with the blue borders picture is what I was going for.
https://addicted2fabric.com.au/2014/...s-chain-quilt/

This looks like the pattern that I used for mine. By putting it together like this, you get that secondary design of the larger rings around each block. It is a time consuming pattern but so worth it when it is done. I would make another one. Yes you make the whole circles and then put them together using the fitting triangles. The blocks really do fit together but you have to do each 3 inch seam individually. It is a lot of starting and stopping but when you think about it, you are only sewing a 3 inch seams for each section. I know you can do it.

I know this post was last year but I've started a jack's chain....I'm stitching my 9 patches with the sewing machine and then hand stitching the triangles in and then the hex - my problem and question is the fabric wants to go to the triangle for pressing but at the tip of the triangle there is way-way to much fabric piling on top of the seams....what do I do? Hope you understand my question...and have a solution...

Would it help if the 9patch seams were pressed open. Then join the triangles and press seams to the 9patch blocks.

Maryb119-beautiful quilt.

I saw a picture of Jack's Chain on Facebook and the maker said she paper pieced it. I didn't save the post. I have never seen a pp pattern for this block.

This pattern is a beautiful quilt now wonder you won first prize. I can see why the Y seams were such a challenge too. Congratulations on winning!