Island Batik Ambassador Irish Chain Blog Hop - Merry Moments Collection

Welcome to week three of the Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) Ambassador Irish Chain Blog Hop! This month, we are excited to have Accuquilt as our sponsor. Each ambassador received the GO! Irish Chain Block on Board (BOB) 10” die. This month's task is to create an Irish Chain quilt using this die and a special Winter 2024 fabric bundle.

Today, Carol Stanek from Stitch with Color and I are sharing our interpretations of Irish Chain quilts made with Jerry Khiev's Merry Moments Winter Fabric Collection. Additionally, we received 2 yards each of Green Christmas Trees and Neutral Champagne Ornaments. For the background, I chose to use Ceramic Foundation fabric.

Using the Accuquilt Irish Chain die, the Block on the Board (BOB) allows us to create 10” finished blocks that work excellently with the Accuquilt Die Cutters.

Before I started, I designed my Irish Chain quilt using EQ8 software. Once I completed my design, I needed to calculate how many pieces to cut for my blocks with my Accuquilt cutter. 

After that, I began cutting all my pieces using the BOB die and my GO! Big Electric Fabric Cutter. The Irish Chain Block on Board die made the cutting process easy, especially with the Accuquilt Big Electric Fabric Cutter.

After several passes, I had all my pieces cut out and was ready to lay out my blocks for assembly. 

Following the BOB instructions, I assembled my blocks to create ten ½” unfinished blocks.

For this quilt, I designed four different 10-inch finished blocks. I made six blocks using red and green colors, and reversed the colors for the other blocks.

I decided to arrange them on point with slightly larger sashing and cornerstones to give the quilt a unique look. For the borders, I used the Green Christmas Trees for the inner border and the Champagne Ornaments for the outer border. I assembled the quilt with my Bernina 740 sewing machine, using my favorite Aurifil thread and an Oliso MP3 iron.

For the quilting, I utilized my BERNINA Q16 sit-down machine with ruler work throughout the quilt. I pieced the backing and used Hobb Heirloom Premium cotton batting to complete the project. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) is giving away two fabric bundles this week! You can enter to win either a Fusion or Spooktacular Fat Quarter Bundle now at the Island Batik (Lumin Fabrics) blog.

The Ambassadors have created impressive Irish Chain Quilts for this blog hop. Be sure to check out these wonderful designs by clicking on the blog post links below to view these projects.

WEEK 1

May 5:

• Mania Hatzioannidi, Mania for Quilts
• Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

May 6:

• Kimberly Flannagan, Kimberly’s Quilts
• Solomae Stoycoff, Cuddle Cat Quiltworks

May 7:

• Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
• Sarah Pitcher, Pitcher’s Boutique LLC

May 8:

• Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights
• Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

May 9:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

WEEK 2

May 12:

• Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion
• Suzy Webster, Websterquilt

May 13:

• Connie Kresin Campbell, Freemotion by the River

May 14:

• Denise Looney, Quiltery
• Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany

May 15:

• Susan Michaels, Dragonfly Fiber Art
• Kim Jamieson-Hirst, Chatterbox Quilts

May 16:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway

WEEK 3

May 19:

• Renee Atkinson, Pink Tulip Quilting
• Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

May 20:

• Tina Dillard, Quilting Affection Designs
• Carol Stanek, Stitch With Color

May 21:

• Susan Deshensky, Lady Blue Quilt Studio

May 22:

• Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
• Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

May 23:

End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up

Block Party Block #58 - Crossed Patch

Block Party Block #58—Crossed Patch is a fun and simple quilt block that uses only two units: the Shaded Four Patch and the Four Patch. To create these units, you will need your Tucker Trimmer, the Four Patch Square Up tools, and the Shaded Four Patch Technique Sheet.

This tutorial will guide you through making the units for this block. It does not replace the tool instructions and technique sheet. I used scraps from Deb Tucker’s Studio 180 Design Bubbles, Curves, and Corner fabric that I have left over. I chose four different fabrics from the collection and white for the background.

Before we begin, download your free Block Party Block https://bit.ly/BPB58CrossedPatch.

Determine Block and Unit Size

First, decide on the block and unit size you want to create. Then, refer to your tool and technique sheet along with the cutting charts to find the starting strip sizes for the units you will be making.

Shaded Four Patch

For this unit, we will use a strip piecing method to make our units two at a time, and then we will trim them down with our Tucker Trimmer. Please cut your strips and rectangles according to the chart on your technique sheet. To clarify their roles in the unit, the Narrow Strip corresponds to the light teal fabric square, the Wide Strip represents the blue triangles, and the Rectangle is made from the white background fabric.

Now that we have our strips, let’s piece the narrow and wide strips together by stitching them lengthwise. You can create two strip sets or just one and cut it in half to make two sets. Press toward the wide strip.

Right-Handed

Left-Handed

Next, place the two-piece strip sets right sides together on the cutting mat, ensuring the narrow strips are opposite each other. Make sub-cuts the width of the narrow strip, keeping the paired sub-cuts together. Each sub-cut will yield two Shaded Four Patch units. Cut as many as you need according to the pattern.

Stitch

Snip

Stitch each pair together along the long side. Cut the center of the stitched pairs between the two squares, cutting close to the seam allowance or just beyond it. Press your seams in the opposite direction.

Now, select a ruler with a long 45-degree angle; I suggest using the First Choice Ruler for this part. Find the 45-degree angle dashed line on the ruler used for marking. Place both 45-degree lines on the small square's seam lines, ensuring you align with the corner where the seams meet. Draw a line along the angle. Rotate the unit and repeat on the other side to draw another 45-degree line. Center the large rectangle over the unit with right sides together.

Stitch along both drawn lines. Cut ¼” away from the stitched lines on both sides, and press toward the large triangle.

Right-Handed

Left-Handed

Using your Tucker Trimmer, align the Sizing Diagonal line with the sewn seam and the common diagonal along the other seam. Trim up and across. 

Right-Handed

Left-Handed

Rotate your unit 180 degrees, replace the Tucker Trimmer, realign the sizing and cleanup lines on the previously trimmed edges, and trim the final two sides of the unit.

You will need to make a total of 8 Shaded Four Patch units.

Four Patch Units

Next, we will create the four patch units using the strip-piecing method. Using the tool instructions and cutting chart, cut your strips based on the unit size you will be making. I recommend using the ¼” increment line, as it allows for slightly more room for trimming and makes it easier to cut 1/4” than 1/8”.

Once you cut your strips, pair your colors together to make two different-colored strip sets. Place the strips right sides together and stitch down the long side. Press the seams to one side or open.

Right-Handed

Left-Handed

Now, take the two-piece strip sets and place them right sides together on the cutting mat, making sure the colored fabrics are positioned opposite each other and nesting the seams. Sub-cut along the strips, keeping the pairs together.

Stitch the sub-cut pairs together and press your seams to the side or open.

Right-Handed

Left-Handed

Using your Four Patch Square Up, align the finished-size circle over the seam intersection of the Four Patch unit. Line the dashed lines radiating from the center with your seams, then trim up and across the unit.

Right-Handed

Left-Handed

Rotate your unit 180 degrees, reposition the Four Patch Square Up, and align the finished-size circle with the center and dashed lines on the seams. Make sure the trimmed edges are aligned with the cut-size clean-up lines. Trim up and across the unit.

You will need to make 8 Four Patch units for this block.

Block Assembly

Layout two Shaded Four Patch and Two Four Patch units as shown in the picture above. Stitch this quarter of the block together, and repeat three more times. Press as desired.

Position and lay out the four block quarters as shown. Stitch them together and press as desired to finish your Crossed Patch Block.