Irish Chain Quilt Pattern: Single, Double and Triple Chain Tutorial

What is the difference between single, double and triple Irish chain?

The difference is how wide the chains are. A single Irish chain has chains one square wide. A double has a dark chain edged by a second color on both sides. A triple adds a third row. Each one uses a bigger checkerboard block: 3 × 3, 5 × 5 or 7 × 7 squares.

All three are made from plain squares, so none of them needs triangles. What changes is the number of squares to match. A double chain is the classic and the one most people picture when they hear "Irish chain".

How do the two blocks make the chain?

The chain appears because the dark corner squares of each checkerboard block touch the dark corners of the next one, point to point. The plain blocks in between hold the chains apart. Your eye sees one long diagonal line running through every other block.

In a single Irish chain, block A is a nine patch with dark squares in the four corners and the center. Block B is a plain light square the same size. Lay them out like a checkerboard, starting and ending every row with block A. The dark corners connect into an X across each nine patch and a lattice across the quilt.

In a double Irish chain, block A is a 5 × 5 patch. A dark X runs corner to corner. Medium squares fill the spaces next to it, so the dark chain is edged in medium on both sides. Block B is light, with one medium square in each corner. Those corner squares carry the medium edging across the plain block. That is what makes the chain look unbroken.

The chart below shows block A for a double chain, row by row.

How much fabric do you need for a double Irish chain quilt?

If you strip piece it, a double Irish chain throw needs about 1⅛ yards of dark, 1⅞ yards of medium and 2 yards of light. That is 35 ten-inch blocks, for a 50" × 70" quilt. A queen of 99 blocks (90" × 110") needs about 2½ yards of dark, 4⅜ yards of medium and 5⅛ yards of light.

These amounts use 2" finished squares, so both blocks are 10" finished (10½" unfinished). All figures use 42" of usable fabric width, add 10% extra, and round up to the next ⅛ yard. That is how the Patchwork Quilt Builder works out yardage. The table gives two amounts for each fabric. The builder’s figure is for cutting every square separately. Strip piecing, explained below, is faster but needs a little more fabric. Each strip set makes 16 segments, and the last set is rarely used up. Buy the strip-pieced amount if you plan to strip piece.

Use an odd number of blocks across and down so every corner of the quilt is a chain block.

How do you strip piece an Irish chain block?

To strip piece, you sew long strips together into a strip set. Then you cut the set into narrow segments and sew the segments into blocks. Each segment is one row of the block, already sewn. It is much faster and more accurate than sewing 25 separate squares.

A double chain block has three different rows, so you make three kinds of strip set. Each strip set, with about 42" of usable width, gives you 16 segments.

1. Make strip set 1 for rows 1 and 5: sew five 2½" strips together in the order dark, medium, light, medium, dark.
2. Make strip set 2 for rows 2 and 4: medium, dark, medium, dark, medium.
3. Make strip set 3 for row 3: light, medium, dark, medium, light.
4. Press the seams of sets 1 and 3 toward the dark strips, and the seams of set 2 toward the medium strips. The seams then nest, or lock together, when you join the rows.
5. Straighten one end of each strip set, then cut it into 2½" segments. For each chain block you need two segments from set 1, two from set 2 and one from set 3.
6. Sew the segments together in order: set 1, set 2, set 3, set 2, set 1. Pin at each seam so the squares line up.
7. Press the long seams in one direction and check the block measures 10½" square.

How do you make the alternate block?

The alternate block for a double Irish chain is a light square with a small medium square in each corner. Instead of sewing corners onto a big square, build it in three rows. That way every seam is straight and the block comes out exactly the same size as the chain block.

1. Cut one 6½" × 10½" light rectangle for the center.
2. Cut two 2½" × 6½" light rectangles and four 2½" medium squares.
3. Sew a medium square to each end of a 2½" × 6½" light rectangle. Make two of these strips. Each is 2½" × 10½".
4. Sew one strip to the top and one to the bottom of the 6½" × 10½" center, with the medium squares at the corners.
5. Press toward the center. The block measures 10½" square.

How do you lay out and join an Irish chain quilt?

Lay the blocks out like a checkerboard. Each row goes chain block, alternate block, chain block, and the next row starts with an alternate block. With an odd number of blocks both ways, all four corners are chain blocks. Then the chains run off every edge evenly.

Before sewing, step back and check the medium squares. The corners of each alternate block should line up with the medium squares in the chain blocks beside them. Then sew the blocks into rows. Press the seams toward the alternate blocks so they nest with the chain blocks. Sew the rows together, matching the seams where the chains cross.

Irish chains often have a wide plain border in the light background fabric. It gives the chains room to end and is a good place for fancy quilting.

What colors look best in an Irish chain quilt?

Irish chains look best with strong contrast between the chain and the background. The classic is two colors, such as red or green on white. For a double chain, add a medium shade of the chain color for the edging. Then the chain looks like one bold line with a softer outline.

Scrappy chains work too, as long as the background stays one fabric. Use many different darks for the chain squares and keep every one of them darker than the background. For St. Patrick’s Day, try a deep green chain with a spring green edging on cream.

To test a palette before you buy fabric, see quilt color palettes. The palettes below all have the strong light and dark contrast an Irish chain needs.

• Confetti Chain#0B3F4F · #F8F0E0 · #ECDB3A · #EE4E14 · #8E9FE3 · #B23A6A · #3E94B1 · #D26AB0Try it on a quilt
• Cranberry Snow#A3232B · #F6F1E8Try it on a quilt
• Clover Field#143601 · #1A4301 · #245501 · #538D22 · #73A942 · #AAD576Try it on a quilt
• Midnight Checker#183745 · #D9A006 · #F9F1E0Try it on a quilt

How do you quilt an Irish chain?

Quilt an Irish chain by following the chain with straight lines. Save the plain blocks for something fancier. Sew diagonal lines through the centers of the chain squares, from one edge of the quilt to the other. They are easy on a home machine with a walking foot, a presser foot that moves all three layers through evenly.

The plain areas of the alternate blocks are the traditional place for a feathered wreath, a flower or a simple cross-hatch. On a modern Irish chain, an all-over pattern like wavy lines or a large meander (a loose, wandering line) works well. Use thread that matches the background so the stitching shows texture without competing with the chain.

Can I design an Irish chain quilt online?

Yes. Patchwork’s Quilt Explorer has two chain-style quilts to start from. They are variations, not true double Irish chains, but they use the same idea of small squares linking across the quilt. Meadow Chain has white chains crisscrossing an olive ground with a spark of orange in each opening. Scrappy Chain links small scrappy squares between navy crosses on cream.

To draw a true double chain, set a 2" grid in the Quilt Builder. Paint block A from the chart above with solid squares and save it as a block. Then paint block B and stamp the two in a checkerboard. Try Shuffle colors with the Confetti Chain palette for a bright scrappy version.

Questions

How many fabrics do I need for an Irish chain quilt?

A single Irish chain needs two fabrics: one for the chain and one for the background. A double chain needs three: dark for the chain, medium for its edging, and light for the background. A scrappy chain can use as many as you like, as long as the background stays the same.

Is an Irish chain quilt good for beginners?

Yes. A single Irish chain is a good second quilt after a checkerboard, because it is only squares and teaches you to match seams. A double chain is fine for a confident beginner who has made one or two quilts. Strip piecing keeps both quick and accurate.

What size squares do you use for an Irish chain?

Most Irish chains use 1½" to 2½" finished squares. With 2" finished squares (cut 2½" strips), a double chain block is 10" finished and a single chain block is 6" finished. Smaller squares make finer chains but more seams.

Why is it called an Irish chain?

Nobody knows for sure. The pattern was popular in America in the early 1800s, and the name may come from Irish weaving patterns or from Irish immigrants. It is not known to have started in Ireland.

Should an Irish chain quilt have an odd or even number of blocks?

Use an odd number of blocks across and down, such as 5 × 7 or 9 × 11. Then every corner of the quilt is a chain block and the design looks balanced on all four sides.