The Irish Chain Quilt is coming along nicely, and is now a complete quilt top. This quilt top has been so fun to piece, it's up there with my top 5 favorite projects. The design is traditional but the fabrics are modern and feature many "i-spy" elements from animals, birds, and bees, to accessories, tools of the sewing trade, flowers, faces, and more.
QUILT STATS
Quilt top measures 74 inches x 74 inches.
37 rows of 37 squares.
1369 squares each measuring 2.5" x 2.5" (incl seam allowances).
Pieced in Blocks - Block A and Block B (see below).
13 Block A units and 12 Block B units.
200+ different printed fabrics have been used to make this quilt top.
Fabrics used:
- Flower Drops in Pink from the Milk, Flower, Sugar Collection by Elea Lutz (1 yard*)
- Pinhead in Black by Michael Miller (7/8 yard)
- Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Iron (3/4 yard)
- Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White (1/2 yard)
- Lots of 2.5" square scraps!
*Fabric requirements are for the quilt as pictured made from 2.5" squares, and based on 44" wide fabric. Estimates are generous for rotary cutting but if using a fabric cutter you may need extra yardage.
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| Quilt Layout ~ alternating Block A and Block B 5 rows of 5 blocks 13 Block A Units 12 Block B Units |
The quilt is made from two alternating blocks ~ Block A and Block B. I prefer to press seams together (to one side) and to ensure that all seams "nest" when sewing the blocks together I have pressed seams for my blocks as follows:
Arrange fabric pieces as pictured - seven rows of seven squares - and sew squares together in horizontal rows, pressing seams for each row as indicated by the arrows (starting with top row: out and away from the center square, then for the next row press seams in towards the center square etc).
Block B
Arrange fabric pieces as pictured taking note of placement of the feature fabric, and sew squares together in horizontal rows, pressing seams for each row as indicated by the arrows (opposite to how seams are pressed for block A).
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| Pressing seams - Block A (Left) and Block B (right) |
Once you have sewn all seven rows for your block, sew rows into blocks and press the final seams as indicated - for Block A press seams out and AWAY from the center row of squares, and for Block B press in and TOWARDS the center row of squares. Pressing your seams this way will ensure that regardless of which way you turn your blocks all seams will "nest" when sewing block A and Block B together.
My quilt top is made from 25 blocks in total ~ 13 Block A units and 12 Block B units. After sewing my blocks together in five rows of five blocks the quilt top was as pictured above.
I have since added a single row of squares right around the edge of the quilt top so as to complete to repeat pattern. Cutting these additional 140+ scrappy squares has taken just about as long as it took to cut all of the other squares ... well, it certainly felt that way.
More soon,
Rita
RELEVANT LINKS:
Irish Chain Scrap Buster Quilt - Work in Progress - Part 1
Irish Chain Scrap Buster quilt - The Finished Quilt - Part 3
More RPQ scrap busting projects
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