irish chain quilt

This is the quilt that inspired me to make my first finished quilt. A magazine article in, I think,  Ladies' Circle Patchwork's yearly compilation of their favorite quilts from the previous year. I remember looking at the quilt picture every time I went to the store but I was to poor to buy the magazine. I mentioned the quilt to a friend and she bought me the magazine; my first quilting magazine.
This is an Irish chain that was made for my mother by her great grandmother; Lizzie Caughey in 1934. It was on my bed as a young girl. It also influenced my decision to start my first Irish chain. I also used the quilting design that Lizzie used.


This is the first quilt I ever finished. Well, that is not strictly true; I had made a few 'quilty' things; baby blankets, pillows, pot holders, and I'd made and tied a pieced trip around the world by the time this quilt was quilted soooo... it was the first pieced top I ever finished. (The first top I started is still not finished) Count those squares; over 1,000! Couldn't I have started with something smaller? This was made before I discovered rotary cutters;They were invented in 1979 butI'd never seen one until much later. Notice the applique squares in the alternate block; today the alternate block is often pieced instead of appliqued to make it faster.

The label says I started it in 1984 and finished it in 1994. I hired the quilting done at a local church and gave it to my husband for Christmas in 1994. 

I have other Irish chains to show you another day.