Jacks Chain

Jacks Chain is a lovely design - in theory - but I'm in no hurry to make another one of these, despite loving the 'dancing circles' of the nine patch blocks! In many ways it was a car crash from start to almost the finish!

The start was fine.  I wanted a fun way to use my 'leaders and enders' which I piece when I'm using the sewing machine, so I don't have trailing threads.

I wasn't best pleased with the number of partial seams that the hexagons, nine patches and triangles needed in order to go together, and I'm not that good at them, either, really.

Then I didn't do a great job of applying it to some straight strips to make the size up and to straighten the edges, so it was all a bit baggy.  Then came the basting.  I ran out of masking tape (which I use to keep the back taut whilst I'm spray basting), so it was going to be a bit wrinkled - but I carried on, as I wasn't really in love with it.  I quilted it - but the wrinkle turned into a couple of tucks on the back of the quilt.  All my own fault, but annoying!

I squared up, put on the binding, and sewed it down, and almost became happy with it again.  By the time I'd sewn down the tucks, they hardly showed on the busy paisley backing fabric - so I've finished with something that I'm not exactly proud of, but that will keep someone warm when they need it, without me being embarrassed to put my name to it!