Irish Chain (9-Patch) Quilt Tutorial Part 1

We love to make baby quilts.  Our go-to pattern is the Irish Chain or nine-patch pattern.  It is quick to piece, versatile, jelly roll and scrap friendly, and easy for beginners to manage.  Since we were starting a new quilt, I thought it would be fun to share our method (or madness as the case may be).  We have made a few that you may see by clicking Gray Polka Dot Quilt Finished, Light Green Baby Quilt Finished and An Aqua Story – Finding Nemo Finished.

Irish Chain Fabric Selection

Once you have determined that you want to make a quilt, the next steps are to decide a) for who, b) what size and c) what pattern.  This Irish Chain quilt that I’m going to share with you in a baby quilt size calls for 1.5 yards of a solid, 2 yards of the pattern (includes border and binding), and 1.5 yards for the backing.  You will have some fabric leftover.  We generally select a backing that coordinates well with the binding fabric.  Obviously, you do not have to use a solid and pattern but for this tutorial it makes it easier to distinguish the fabrics.  You may not have a person in mind for the quilt – that makes the fabric selection really easy as you can just go with what you like the best!

Fabric companies try to make your job easier by making fabrics that naturally go together.  Sometimes we like what they offer and use fabrics from the same line, and other times we go our own direction.  For this quilt we selected two fabrics from two different manufactures, but they do match:

Irish Chain Fabric Cutting

Sue is in charge of cutting the fabrics.  I do it in a pinch . . . like when she is not available and I absolutely N.E.E.D something cut right that minute. ~smile~  Sue cuts 2 inch strips; seven of the solid and eight of the pattern.

From the pattern fabric she cuts four – 4.75″ border strips, and five – 1.5″ binding strips.  Those are pictured above.

From the solid she cuts four – 5″ strips. (You may only need three strips if you can get eight blocks from each strip.)  Those strips are sub-cut into 5″ squares.  You need a total of 31.

Fabric Cutting Recap:

2″ strips – (7) solid

5″ strips – (3 or 4) solid – sub-cut into (31) 5″ squares

2″ strips – (8) pattern

4.75″ strips – (4) pattern

1.5″ strips – (5) pattern (binding)

Part 2 will continue the tutorial with sewing the strips, blocks, rows, etc.  Look for Part 2 next Wednesday.

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