Tying Quilts and Free Irish Quilt Block Patterns

Greetings Quilter -

“Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you”

I guess I'm not the only quilter who loves St. Patrick's Day and wants to celebrate with quilts.

As I was flipping through my big book of quilt blocks, I discovered 8 quilt blocks with an Irish theme.

And the funniest part is that 3 of them are named just plain Irish Chain. There are others that include the Irish Chain flavor - Broken Irish Chain, Irish Chain Plaid.

And you'll also discover Irish Plaid, Irish Puzzle and Irish Spring, which actually looks like a 3 leaf clover.

Any of these would make a fun celebration for St. Patrick's Day - or a great gift for anyone Irish.

In this week's video, you'll see how to sew one of the Irish Chain quilt blocks. This is slightly different from the one most commonly seen in Irish Chain quilts.

Penny's Chat last night was fun and filled with great information about Quilt as You Go projects - from the simple to the more creative.

There were some fabulous questions about a wide range of quilting topics.

If you haven't ever tuned in, watch for the next call, which will be later in March. They are always fun and informative, and you opprotunity to ask a question to help make your quilting easier and more fun.

This month, you are getting bonus quilt block patterns. This week, you'll see 8 quilt block patterns with an Irish theme - so you can make a quilt for St. Patty's Day.

Next week, we'll have a more "normal" selection of free quilt block patterns to add to your collection.

And now for the rest of the news - -

Happy Quilting!

penny halgren

Scroll down for 8 free quilt block patterns with an Irish theme.

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Featured Member Quilt

Quilter Roshan sent in a picture of her first hand quilted quilt which was made for her grandson - to be born soon. This was her first applique quilt.

This is an excellent example of how you can combine esay-to-sew square patches with a large center square or rectangle and create a fun quilt. This style of quilt isn't limited to baby quilts, either.

By changing the applique and the color combination, you can create many different styles of quilt.

Ideas for the applique in the center can be found in magazine pictures as well as coloring books or quilt block patterns designed specifically for applique.

Beautiful job, Roshan. You're grandson will treasure this quilt for a long time.

A Quilting Tip - Tying Quilts

Tying a quilt using a curved needle makes it easier

Traditional quilters who decide to tie their quilts for the first time often ask the same question: exactly where do I tie it?

The answer to that is pretty simple: it depends.

If your quilt is made up of blocks, you could try tying it at the corner of each block. If you have added a cornerstone in the sashing, perhaps you could add a tie in the middle of each.

If your quilt blocks are very large you will probably need more ties. So for large blocks, maybe tie the corners plus a center section. The thing you have to ask yourself is whether those ties will interfere with the design of your quilt.

Ideally, the ties will add interest to your quilt. In the best case scenario, they add an extra texture to your quilt top and accent the design. In the worst situation, the ties will overwhelm your quilt top and be terribly distracting. Sometimes, you never know until you try. Fortunately, ties are easily snipped out of quilts as long as you are careful not to snip the quilt itself.

Here are a few tips to help you with your quilt tying projects:

Use yarn or embroidery floss that will not bleed when washed. Some of these are made solely for decorative purposes and not meant to be washed. To know for sure, read the labels. If you still are not certain, cut off a length of the thread or yarn, soak it in soapy water (using your regular laundry detergent), rinse it, then let it dry on a white towel or paper towels to look for bleeding.
Use a strong thread. Nothing would be worse than tying three layers of fabric together with a weak thread or yarn. Plan your tie colors to accent the rest of the quilt or to contrast with it, depending on your quilt top design.
Make your knots tight and close to the fabric. If your knots are tied too loosely, your batting and fabric layers will shift. If this happens, the quilt could be ruined during washing or drying.
Map out a rough diagram of how you plan to tie your quilt. Remember that those ties are the only thing securing your quilt sandwich. You need to tie enough into your quilt. Mapping out your plan will also help you decide whether you will tie your knots on the front or the back side of the quilt. Either is acceptable and is simply the quilter’s choice.

Featured Quilt Block - Irish Chain

irish chain quilt block pattern

'tis the month for St. Patrick. St. Patrick's Day was one of my favorite "holidays" when my kids were in school.

Starting when quilting daughter, Stephanie, was in kindergarten, classrooms were decorated as if leprechauns had visited, leaving special Keebler crackers (the ones that looked like little people), silver and green tinsel, crepe paper clovers and other fun decorations.

Scroll down and you'll find many other Irish quilt blocks that would be great for this holiday.

You can download the free pattern at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

Watch how to sew the block:

Irish Quilt Block Patterns for St. Patrick's Day

These free Irish Quilt quilt block patterns will make your St. Patrick's Day full of quilting fun. Most of these are 9 patch quilt blocks, and some are 9 patch quilt blocks.

Click here to download your Irish FREE quilt block patterns