Double Irish Chain

This quilt was a long time in the making. I started it in January 2006. Brielle was due with Aspen in March 2006 and I figured 2 months was plenty of time to make a quilt. (hahaha). I searched the internet for a new pattern. I am always looking for a chance to make something new but I get intimidated by complex things. This one was relatively simple so I printed off the pattern and cut it down to size for a kid blanket.

I went shopping for the fabric and came home and cut everything out - I was on my way. Then I started putting the squares together. Then it came to a halt. In March when my sister was due - I found out I was pregnant with Piper -then came the early pregnancy sickness, the summer with all the kids home, Dan in Iraq and then a new baby. So this project really took a back seat.

Late April (this year) I finally finished the top and I sent it to a long arm quilter to have it quilted. (I had to save time where I could and if I had to quilt the whole thing it would have been 3 more years before it was done.) I got it back the last day of June so all I had to do was the binding. Do you think that got done before I left on vacation in mid-July? No! And I couldn't find all the fabric I had set aside for the binding - the night before I left. So once again - I finished the project at the recipients house. I used two different fabrics from the quilt to do the binding since I couldn't find enough of the black (which was my original plan).

The blocks were put together by strip piecing. Not a hard concept but plenty time consuming. Here's the chain. A single Irish chain would just be the green, but this is a double so it has green and black. They also have patterns for a triple.


Close up of the fabric. Black has little frogs. Green has little star bursts. And the pale pink is a light floral print.

The back was this very soft heavy fabric. I don't the name but it's kinda fuzzy in the softest fuzz ever. The top was bound with pink and the sides with black.


The long arm quilting was done in a floral and loopy pattern in a bright green thread. I love how this looks and wish that all my quilts could be done this way. This is only the second one I've had done.
The binding:

The recipient:
Even though she's nearly 2 and half now - I think she likes it. She probably likes more now than she would have as a new born. And I'm so glad it's done so I can move on to something else! :)