Since I'm still new to the quilting world, I'm taking another intro class.  In this one I will make an Irish Chain quilt.  My first class was last week and I decided to make a pink quilt.  Of course, I had to put a little orange in it because I am me. 

The Irish Chain can use as few as two fabrics and as many as five fabrics (plus one for the quilt back). I say the more color the better so, I am using five.  My first fabric is Alexander Henry Petals, which will be the chain.

From there, I went about choosing the fabrics for the background.  I ended up with a sherbet palette. Here are all of my fabrics:

 (from left to right) Yuwa Stripes in tan and white, Kona Cotton School Bus, P+B Pink, Yuwa Pink Gingham.

Update on November 16, 2006 by purl bee

Fabric Requirements for the Irish Chain Quilt

The finished size of the quilt, with borders, is approximately 43 x 53 inches.

chain fabric -  3/4 yard
chain background - 1 yard
plain block - 1 yard
inner border - 1 yard (1 1/2 yard if cut lengthwise for directional fabric)
outer border - 1 1/2 yards (2 yards if cut lengthwise for directional fabric)
binding - 1/2 yard
backing - 3 1/4 yard
batting - 58 x 70 inches; I used a twin size cotton batting.
 

The Irish Chain consists of nine patch or checkerboard blocks .  Cut eight 2 1/2-inch strips of the chain fabric and seven 2 1/2-inch strips of the background fabrics.

With right sides together, sew one chain strip to one background strip.

 

 

 

Press the seam towards the chain fabric. Sew a matching background strip to the other side of this chain strip to create a background-chain-background stripe.  Press and set aside. Make two more stripe pieces for a total of three background-chain-background pieces.

 

 

Now make three chain-background-chain pieces using the same process.  Your piece should look like this:

 

Now you have a whole bunch of long strip sandwiches that need to be cut into usable bites.  Cut each strip into 2 1/2 inch pieces like this:

With right sides together, pin and sew two pieces together. Use as many pins as you need on either side of the seams to keep them nice and neat! 

Note the vertical seams on the top and bottom strips - see how they are facing different directions?  This makes them lay flat as you sew the horizontal seam.

After pressing the horizontal seam, pin and sew another strip to create a square.  

Repeat this process with remaining strips.  Then, step back and admire your stack of checkerboards! -- Jen

Before going any further, be sure to measure and square up your nine patches.  If they are all within 1/8", you are good to go.  If not, pick the smallest one and square up the remainder of the blocks to that one. 

This is where the third color can come in; it is optional.  If you would like to make a more traditional Irish Chain, keep the same background (in this case it would be the solid light pink).  I have chosen to bring in my third print, Yuwa pink gingham.

Cut 4 strips that measure the exact width of your nine-patch blocks, about 6 inches.  From these strips, cut six squares from each.  You'll need 24 squares.

These are the two blocks that form the entire Irish Chain.  Pin and sew one plain block to one patch block, right sides together.  Press the seam to one side.  Add another plain block to the patch block in the same way.  Make eight identical strips, alternating six plain and nine-patch blocks across. Press all of the seams to the same side.

Turn four of these strips so that the first block on the left is a plain square.  These are strips 1,3,5 and 7. 

The remaining 4 strips have a nine-patch square as first block in the strip.  We'll number these 2,4,6 and 8. 

Be sure to press the seams so that they will nestle together properly. One row should all be pressed to the right.  The row next to it should be pressed to the left. 

Pin Strip 1 to Strip 2, right sides together.  Take extra care at the intersections of four blocks, lining up the seams and pinning as needed.  Now, sew!

Press the seam to one side.  Pin Strip 2 to Strip 3, and repeat for remaining odd and even strips: 3 to 4,  4 to 5, and so on.

Sew on your borders all the way around your center squares.  Now you're ready to baste and quilt!