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Jacob's Ladder
Here is another classic block that is made
from simple shapes- Squares,
Rectangles,
and Half Square Triangles.
There are five
4-Patches in this block,
and four Half Square Triangles.
Contrast is what makes this block so
directional. All the dark squares run in diagonal lines. There is a
lot of movement to this block, which seams to climb upwards. Hence the name of
the block, Jacob's Ladder.
Here are the measurements for the pieces:
Cut the squares 2-inches wide for the
4-patches.
(If you have 4-inch
squares, you can just quarter them)
The large
Half Square Triangles will be made from squares that are 3 7/8
inches.
(Tip: When you are
dealing with an eighth of an inch, as above, it is often easier to
just go higher on the measurement, and then cut down the unit
afterwards. Try using 4-inch squares, and then cut down your
Half Square Triangle. See
The
Flower Basket Block for a good picture on how to cut down a Half
Square Triangle )
Here is how you figure the size
for the large squares. Looking at the picture you can see that
both the 4-patch units and the Quarter Square Triangles are the same
size. The width of the 4-patch will be the width of the two
small squares when they are sewn together. Two plus two, minus
one seam allowance of 1/2 inches, is equal to 3 1/2 inches
(raw).
In order to get your Half
Square Triangles the same size, you add 3/8 of an inch to the size
of the squares you use to make the Half Square Triangles (raw).
See Half
Square Triangles. So that is why you cut your larger
squares at 3 7/8 inches.
If you
want to make a Sampler Quilt, you will want to know how to adjust
the size of the blocks. If you don't understand it at first,
give it some time, and eventually it will all "click".
When you begin piecing together your squares,
you will have 10 pieces to sew. Chain piece them together.
Run them under the needle of your sewing machine one right after the
other, without breaking the threads.
When you are done, you will
have a long strand, as in the picture above. Cut them apart,
and then chain piece the units that you put together for the
4-Patch. This saves time and thread.
Here is how you will lay out your units when
they are sewn together. You can see that this is a simple
9-patch.
Piece together your horizontal
rows, turning the top and bottom seams away from the center, and the
seams in the middle row toward the center.
Sew the remaining seams, which
should all next together nicely.
It can be confusing which way
to turn the blocks, so leave your connecting threads (from strip
piecing) in place as long as possible.
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