Timeless Jacob's Ladder Quilt Block Pattern in 5 sizes

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Several abbreviations are used in this tutorial:

• SA - seam allowance
• RST - right sides together
• HST - half square triangle

All seam allowances (SA) are 1/4".

When you are instructed to press, first press the pieced unit flat to set the seam. Then open the patch, pressing from the front. Seam allowances are pressed to the dark fabric unless otherwise noted.

To make them easy to find, pressing instructions are highlighted in yellow.

Step 1: Cutting patches for a Jacob's Ladder block

Jacob's Ladder design

Sample Block Size: 6" finished / 6½" unfinished

Grid: 6x6

Design Type: Even 9-patch  |. Jacob's Ladder 

Watch for the half square triangles are marked with '**'.

I prefer to make my HSTs larger and trim them down to the actual size after stitching.

The Quick Piecing method is used to make them.

There is a chart further down in these instructions where you need it for trimming them to size.

Click here to download the cutting chart and block design to use while constructing this block.

Click here to download the coloring/fabric planning page.

			Cutting Chart for a Jacob's Ladder Quilt Block ~ Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
			4½''	6''	9''	12''	18''
1**	Bac	2	2⅜'' x 2⅜''	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	4⅞'' x 4⅞''	6⅞'' x 6⅞''
2**	A	2	2⅜'' x 2⅜''	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	4⅞'' x 4⅞''	6⅞'' x 6⅞''
3	Bac	1	1¼'' x 13½''	1½'' x 16''	2'' x 21''	2½'' x 26''	3½'' x 36''
4	A	1	1¼'' x 13½''	1½'' x 16''	2'' x 21''	2½'' x 26''	3½'' x 36''
Unfinished Block Size			5''	6½''	9½''	12½''	18½''
Grid Size			¾"	1"	1½''	2''	3''

And these are the cut patches. Pretty simple, eh?!

Step 2: Piecing the Jacob's Ladder units

Half Square Triangles

Make 4

Make 4

With a pencil, draw a diagonal line on the back side of each of the lighter #1 squares.

With RST, layer one marked light square with one dark #2 square. Stitch a quarter inch away from the drawn line on both sides. Repeat for the second pair of squares.

Arrow points to anchor cloth.

Cut on the drawn line to create two units from each pair of squares.

Press.

Find your finished block size in the chart below. Check your accuracy. Trim if needed—if you cut oversized patches, you WILL need to trim.

These are your trimmed HSTs.

For the 6" finished sample block, the HSTs are trimmed to 2½" x 2½"

For more detailed information on this HST-technique, click here.

Four Patches

Make 5

Make 5

With RST, align the edges of the light and dark strips. Stitch the long edge with a quarter inch seam.

This seam is pressed to the dark.

Use the chart below to check the accuracy of your stitching. Your strip set width should match the measurement that corresponds to your finished block size.

With your rotary cutter, straighten one short edge of this strip set.

Referring to the chart above, cut your strip set into 10 patches equal to the SubCut width.

For the sample 6" block, I've cut ten 1-1/2" segments that look like this.

For this 6" finished sample each segment measures 1-1/2" x 2-1/2"

Alternating light and dark fabrics, stitch pairs of these segments together to create five 4-patches with an edge-to-edge measurement equal to 4-Patch Dimensions in the chart above.

Press flat to set the seam and meld the fibers of the thread into the fibers of your fabric.

To reduce bulk at the center of a four patch, I like to twirl or fan or pinwheel the seam allowance. To do so, loosen the stitches in the center seam allowances—DO NOT TRIM THESE THREAD TAILS—and gently urge the SAs to more clockwise around the center as you look at your 4-patch from the backside.

It looks like this (below, right).

Twirl or fan the seam allowances to reduce bulk in the center of the block

Press the seams in this direction.

Step 3: Assemble the Jacob's Ladder block

Lay out your sewn units in rows.

It's REALLY easy to get the patches discombobulated. (Ask me how I know!)

Just remember that the dark sides of your HSTs border the light diagonal chain of squares that runs through the center from upper left to lower right.

Stitch the patches into rows.

You can press in either direction—towards the 4-patches or towards the HSTs—just be consistent. That way your seams will nest which makes matching them so much easier.

Stitch the rows together. After a final press your Jacob's Ladder quilt block looks like this.

Other Jacob's Ladder quilt blocks... 🪜🧵

...are shown below. This design family is generally characterized by a combination of four patch units and HSTs. The designs are either 4- or 9-patch based.

Click on the image to go to that tutorial.

Broken Sugar Bowl
6", 9", 12"

Buckeye Beauty
3", 4", 6", 8", 12", 16"

Hovering Hawks
6", 9", 12"

Jacob's Ladder
4½" 6" 7½" 9" 12"

Rocky Road to CA
6", 9", 12"

Wagon Tracks
6", 9", 12"

For design inspiration, click here to check out the Jacob's Ladder quilt pattern page.

Now what?

You've learned just how simple this design is to make.

Your blocks are finished.

What to do?

How to arrange them?

Click here to find layout ideas for the Jacob's Ladder block to spur your creativity!

8 Variations on the Jacob's Ladder design

Play with the number of fabrics and the units and you've got a multitude of Jacob's Ladder quilt block based patterns at your fingertips.

Blue Chains

A third fabric is added that changes the color placement.

Road to the White House

Two of the corner 4-patches are replaced with squares.

The second diagonal disappears when the block is set edge to edge.

Tail of Benjamin's Kite

The center four patch is replaced with a solid square.

Rocky Road to California

Back to the two fabric block, four patches are changed or removed.

Click here for instructions to make this variation.

Wagon Tracks

The second diagonal is completely gone.

Also known as Pacific Rail Road or Road to Arkansas.

Click here for instructions to make this block.

In these next variations, the half square triangles are inline with the dark diagonal chain and form, well, 'bats' for lack of a better word.

Road to Arkansas

Still the exact same units as the original Jacob's Ladder, just rotated for a totally different looking block.

Broken Sugar Bowl

Corner 4-patches are gone. Three fabrics.

This block is also called Road to the White House.

Click here for instructions.

And last, but not least...

Buckeye Beauty

The block drawn on a 2x2 grid instead of our 3x3. Great for scrap quilts!

Also know as: Double Four Patch, Gay Scrap Quilt, Going to Chicago, New Four Patch, Railroad, Railroad Crossing and World's Fair.

Same name, different block...

I've found three 3x3 grid blocks that are also named 'Jacob's Ladder quilt block'. The first two look like variations of the same idea--more like a 'Wild Goose Chase' in my humble opinion.

This third one mimics the feel of the original Jacob's Ladder with the same strong diagonal line, but it is accomplished with smaller triangle squares.

A wee bit more scrap friendly because the patches are smaller.

For even MORE blocks to make... 🧩🎨

...visit our Free Quilt Block Pattern Library, with over 230+ blocks to choose from in multiple sizes.

Free downloads are included in all sizes for any blocks require paper piecing patterns or templates.

This article was printed from Generations-Quilt-Patterns.com

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