The topics this week are Irish Chain and Fall Quilts. I don't have a Fall quilt, but I have made an Irish Chain quilt. It was my first pieced quilt. I'm not sure who offered the class, it wasn't a quilt shop. It was the summer of 1987 and my graduate school class load was pretty light that year. My grandmother quilted and I had long wanted to learn how. So I signed up for that summer class. My fabric came from Hobby Lobby as did the rotary cutter. The teacher offered a set of plastic templates which could be used to cut strips from fabric (I have no idea if rulers even existed at that time). I actually finished the flimsy in class.
Quilting the top was a whole other issue. The flimsy got folded up and stuck with my unfinished embroidery stuff. The top moved with me from graduate school to my first job, with me when we bought our first house and made the trip to Texas when the job took us in that direction. Then one day, my 3 year old found it and asked me to finish it so it could live on her bed.
By the time my Irish Chain was quilted, I was taking quilting classes again at the local quilt shop. They helped me make the back and showed me how to prep a quilt for quilting. I handed it off to the long arm quilter at the shop. That first quilt was a UFO for 17 years. This quilt never did live on Kiddo's (aka Drama Teen) bed, by the time it was finished she'd come up something else she wanted me to make for her bed.
I supposed it's fitting that my 1000th post is about my first foray into what prompted me to start blogging in the first place. To celebrate, I have a set of polka dot fat quarters to give away.
Just leave a comment about which is your favorite Tuesday Archive posted this week over at Val's Quilting Studio. I'll pick a winner this weekend using Mr. Random Number generator, so be sure I have a way to contact you if you are a no reply blogger.
I love that we share that the Irish Chain was the first quilt we each made! After looking through the pattern book I was inpsired to make another one. I enjoyed your story. Congrats on your 1,000 post!!!!!! WOW!!! Got to love this virtual qiulting guild we've developed. Love your give-away idea...thanks for the linky support Kate! Happy Day. V:)
ReplyDeleteWow! I love your Irish Chain. That is my favorite traditional quilt pattern. Someday, I hope to make a bed-sized one. I've only made a doll quilt from that pattern. Congrats on your 1,000th post. That's a lot of writing.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 1,000 posts!! That's no mean feat! I love the story of your Irish Chain quilt . . . where is it living now? I hope it has a place of honor!! I didn't realize how popular the Irish Chain was (I've not made one). Jo's was really beautiful -- though it was kind of fun to see Val on her very 80's looking waterbed!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the fun colors in yours! My first quilt top STILL isn't finished. But I've definitely completed a lot since then.
ReplyDeleteI like your Irish Chain the best because of the story. How impressive for your first quilt. Congrats on the 1,000 posts.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 1000th post! Nice story. My oldest UFO is now 23 years old and I'm still handquilting it - LOL.
ReplyDeleteI suspect most of us have a first quilt that ended up a UFO for a while. I used a quilt unbound quilt for 18 months before I got up the guts to bind it!!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing your very first quilt and hearing the story behind it. Happy 1000th post too!
My favorite is yours, of course! Okay, I also really like the Twisted Irish Chain someone posted. But yours is very nice! My first official class quilt (I made several unskilled ones before that) is still unquilted. But only four years for me. It's only been four years??
ReplyDeleteMy first quilt was an Irish Chain too. My sister and I made it together as a wedding gift for our brother and his wife. I was hooked on quilting after that quilt! I should dig out a photo and post it on Val's blog.
ReplyDeleteYour Irish Chain is great. I also love the Twisted Irish Chain.
Congrats on your 1000th post!
Thanks for sharing this story Kate! I think it is a great quilt!
ReplyDeleteLove that rainbow of polka dots!
ReplyDeleteGreat work on the Irish Chain and congratulations on your 1000th post. Have some m&ms and peanut butter to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteVery ambitious for a first quilt and it turned out great. I think it's neat that your daughter saw it and wanted you to finish it for her.
ReplyDelete