Sunday, February 7, 2016

Jack's Chain - Let the Stitching Begin!


After I finished "Which Way to the Chocolate" which took me months of Sundays to big stitch I got down on the floor and prepped Jack's Chain for hand quilting. 


This is another wedding quilt for the hope chest.  This one is for my grandson, Jacob, who will turn 7 on Feb 28.   Since it's a wedding quilt I am using a  stencil with four hearts,  tracing with chalk in the hexagons and stitching with different colored hand quilting threads - so far red, green, yellow.  I stitched in the ditch around the outside of the hexagons in navy blue. 


I stitched an X through the 3 inch 9 patches in navy threads.  I am also using navy thread to stitch 1/4 inside the hexagons. Most of the seams are pressed toward the hexagons so I kind of feel my way along the seam to stitch.  Since I was big stitching on "Which Way to the Chocolate" I'm finding it difficult to keep my stitches small and even while stitching on this quilt.  


I was thinking I might rip out all the stitching I've done in the triangles and stitch in the ditch around them instead because my stitching is very uneven in those triangles plus the seam line kind of poofs up between the 39P and the triangles.  But then again who wants to hand stitch in ditches where the hand stitching doesn't show?  And I keep looking at the intersection of the hearts here - the stitches don't meet up perfectly there and it bothers me.  Maybe I should just stop taking pictures, move on, and keep trying my best.  I might not be able to make a quilt at all by the time my grandson decides to get married and, heaven forbid, I might not even be alive. 

What pattern did I use? 

Since it's Sunday and I'll be slow stitching I'm linking up to:
and
since there's a heck of a lot of scraps in those 39Ps I'm linking up to:

21 comments:

gayle said...

I don't know anybody who plans ahead further than you do... 8)
I love the gorgeous bright colors you've used! What a bright happy wish for Jacob.
(Jack's Chain is now moving up a couple of notches on my list. Just so ya know...)

Grandma said...

So smart to make now. My Aunt has made quilts for all her Children and Grands but has not given them the quilts. She said they get them when she dies, she wants them to remember how much she loved them. I like this.

Joanne said...

Great quilt and even better story. My Mother in Law left quilts for each of her Grands. They are a treasure. Thank you also for the link to the pattern. I have a ton of 1 1/2" squares. I could work that part of the block as a leader and ender project. Joanne

Jennifer said...

I haven't seen this quilt pattern before, but it is fantastic and I love all you beautiful fabrics.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That is a really neat pattern! I'm so impressed with your hand quilting - it makes me want to try it!

Julierose said...

this is one of my favorites of your quilts that you've blogged about...Thanks for the link to Quilters cache--i need to find something simple (simple quilts for simple getting older brains lol) to make for my granddaughter....love the rainbow of colors on that darker background....hugs, Julierose

Julie in GA said...

What a fantastic quilt! I love your bright colors with the navy background.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

This is a gorgeous quilt! And the quilting is beautiful too. Personally I wouldn't take any stitches out. After it has been washed, all these stitches will wind up being hidden anyway.

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

Such a great pattern. A friend of mine sent me the pattern. It looks like a doozer, you know all that piecing. But maybe someday I will get brave that is if I find the time. Such a great old pattern! Yours looks great enjoy those slow stitches today

Ivani said...

Great pattern and the hearts quilting is so pretty. Happy slow stitching.

Kaja said...

I would stop looking too much at the photos: you are making this for a man (or he will be) so chances are he won't be inspecting the neatness of your stitching! I love that you are already thinking about wedding quilts for a 7 year old - that's proper forward planning.

scraphappy said...

I'm sure he will just enjoy the fact that you hand stitched him a wedding quilt and not worry about how even the stitches are. What a fun pattern. The colors are all bright and happy.

Libby in TN said...

I've started some wedding quilts but my grands are 26 and 31! (still unmarried, but 26 is close). Jack's Chain is on my bucket list. Yours is lovely.

Podunk Pretties said...

I absolutely love this quilt and keep telling myself I need to make one. Not sure mine would be quite as pretty as yours.

Nann said...

Your challenge will be to be able to find the quilt when Jacob gets married! It is a beauty.

colleen said...

I very much like Nan's comment, good luck on that! As to unstitching and restitching I agree with all those comments that say leave it as it is. Spend your time and effort moving forward, done is done perfect is just not as interesting really.
Colleen
California in Super Bowl country

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

The colors are so bright and happy. Love those 9 patches! Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Deanna W said...

Keep those stitches just as they are and continue on....
I am sure there is a learning curve to go from big stitches to littler ones. Hang in there and keep going!!

cityquilter grace said...

sooo pretty...it's a pattern i've long admired...may have to jump in and do it!

Quilter Kathy said...

Definitely leave it... it's fabulous!
I know what you mean about adjusting between regular quilting and big stitch quilting projects, but it's all part of the charm :)

June D said...

This is a great quilt. I have a stack of little 9 patches that could be the start of one for me! : )

But yours is so lovely. Thanks for the inspiration.