Welcome to my stop on the Dust Off A Book Blog Hop, hosted by Beaquilter! I always like participating in this hop as I get to go back through my books and find something I want to make. I was torn between two books, Time for A Chain(1997) and Celtic Quilts(2000). I think there is a theme here??? I opted for Time for a Chain as I knew I would make it quickly and it would use a nice bit of fabric from my stash.
We were also challenged to find an old book in our shelves….that may or may not have served for inspiration. So, my contribution to this is one I bought when I was thinking about certifying as an appriaser, and was published in 1973. I think it is a pretty cool book, and it reminds me I have yet to make a Hawaiian quilt!
Time for a Chain
Time for a Chain by Nancy J. Smith and Lynda S. Milligan was the book I choose. I love the patterns in here, and they are pretty quick makes. I knew I had enough background in something and found a great print to make this quilt.
Constructing the Quilt
This quilt goes together so quickly. You have a choice in the size strip you use, mine were 2″ yielding a 7 1/2″ finished block. You make some strip sets, you cut them apart and reassemble.
This is a great project to spend a few hours each day and get chunks of this done. This was pretty much the way I did it: 1) cutting, 2) assembling the strips and cutting, 3)assembling the blocks, and 4) assembling the top. I would say it was a good days work – 8 hours, split over 4 days. I skipped the border – it didn’t feel as though it added anything.
I thought about doing some special quilting in the white space but I was pressed for time, and this is most likely a charity quilt, so I opted for an edge to edge pattern.
I used “Feather Delight” from my HandiQuilter ProStitcher library to quilt it. It gives it quite a nice texture and doesn’t overwhelm the quilt.
I love the way it turned out. You can see a detail of the gray and white batik (no idea of how old this piece is) and the Kaffe Fassett Roman Glass Blue. The backing is a blue Dit Dot Evolution print, which turns out to be really hard to photograph but has beautiful shades of blue. I love the way the fabric looks when you get a bit away from the whole quilt
Quilt Stats
Irish Chain 39″ x 52″
Pattern: Single Irish Chain, from Time for A Chain, N. Smith & L. Milligan
Quilting Panto: Feathered Delight
Piecing Thread: Aurifil Dove Grey
Quilting Thread: Glide 10000 White, So Fine 473 Brook
Batting: Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Cotton/Poly
List of Hoppers
March 6th
Quilting at the Farm | Lemon Tree Snippets |
Creatin‘ in the sticks | Natalie (on Beaquilter)
March 7th
Quilting Gail | Thrift Shop Commando |
High Road Quilter | Moosestashquilting |
The Morning Latte
March 8th
Kathleen McMusing | Words & Stitches |
Isabella’s Whimsy | DesertSky Quilting
March 9th
LC’s Cottage | Cynthia’s Ark |
Ms P Designs USA | Just Let Me Quilt
March 10th
Beaquilter | Karrin’s Crazy World |
Quilting Patchwork Applique | Julie’s Quilts and Costumes
Coming Up on My Blog
Fab Farm QAL Announcement
Winter Twist
SAHRR Top
Diatom Row 2 (4/13)
Linking Up
Wednesday Wait Loss
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop
Fabric Stash
A negative number….my stash is reducing!
Fabric in this month: 0 Fabric in this year: 16.75
Fabric out this month: 4.5 Fabric out this year: 20.00
NET Fabric: -3.25 yards!
I love any Irish Chain, and blue and white is a favorite color combination, so this quilt is perfect. Thanks for the process pics.
I know I have never made a Hawaiian quilt. To the best of my knowledge, I haven’t made a straight up Irish Chain quilt either.
It looks great, I don’t think a border would add a thing – and might detract from the design.
Gorgeous quilt, I love the fabric!
Irish Chain are always beautiful quilts, perhaps it is the simplicity of it that makes it so pretty. I like seeing your chain hanging over the door!
Those colors are so calming, what a beautiful quilt! Chain piecing is fun. I love how you hung up your work as you went! Lynda Milligan owned a quilt shop here for many years. It was a fun place to go. They always had tons of displays that enticed us to spend lots of money there. LOL!!
This is beautiful! I really love the depth and texture your background fabric gives the quilt.
I love everything about your Irish Chain, Kathleen! It is beautiful! I have never made one; maybe this needs to go on the to-do list. However, I have made a Hawaiian quilt, as well as a couple of Hawaiian minis…all gifted. 🙂
This is a beautiful quilt, Kathleen! The blues with that background fabric make for an amazing Irish chain. Perfect quilting choice, too. Thanks for showing us this pretty quilt!
Oooh, I would have chosen this book as well. I love love chains! That would be a fun one to flip through. Definitely a keeper! Your quilt is beautiful. Thanks for sharing it and your book!
That turned out really well – I love the low volume background fabric! Definitely a great finish!
Great classic quilt, Kathryn!!! I love your mod twist of batik and Kaffe fabric!!! E2E is very appropriate for this quilt!!!
Hi Kathleen! I just LOVE this quilt. The fabrics are gorgeous and the Irish Chain was always our go-to pattern for years. Whenever we needed a baby quilt, that was our choice. The quilting design is nice, too. It really does not overpower the pattern at all, and that backing fabric. Ooh-la-la! Great choice. Overall, you did a super job. Someone is going to be thrilled to receive this. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
Love your Irish Chain – yours looks so fresh and new with an old theme. Beautiful photos too!
Loving this quilt. I haven’t done an Irish Chain yet. I may need to add one to my list of somedays!!
Irish Chain is such a classic pattern. Love your choice of blue and white, a classic color combination! Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
Beautiful, Kathleen!!
What a great older book that is – I love Irish chains. Your quilt looks so cozy and vintage, just beautiful with that pretty fabric and your masterful quilting!