The Irish Chain remains one of the most popular traditional quilt designs. Easy to sew, this can be strip pieced. Suitable for beginners, the blocks must be carefully pieced to achieve the desired diagonal effect. By and large, these generally feature a light colored background. For variety, add an appliquéd border or appliquéd crazy pieced hearts to the centers of the plain blocks.
The pieced blocks can feature a number of different patchwork sections. For example, a Nine Patch often appears in the center with a Four Patch at each corner.
There are numerous variations of the Irish Chain. The most common are the single, double, and triple. The difference comes from the width of the diagonal chain.
History of the Irish Chain Quilt
Very popular in the 1840s, the Irish Chain is a very old type of block. It was commonly seen in the U.S. and Britain during the 18th century. This apparently didn’t originate in Ireland. It was a favorite among Amish and Mennonite quilters.
Originally the patterns were passed from one quilter to another. Printed quilt patterns began to appear around 1836. The Irish Chain was one of the first to be published. Later in 1895, the Ladies Art Company also printed this pattern.
The Single Irish Chain Quilt
This is made from one kind of block. There are various versions of the Single Irish Chain. Often it is a variation of the Nine Patch. Typically, two colors are used. However, this could also be a scrap quilt so long as the background of the blocks is white or neutral.
In the 1930s Nancy Page originally referred to this as the Criss Cross in the Detroit Free Press. Some time later she named it the Single Irish Chain. According to Page, the single has a Nine Patch with a square at each corner and rectangles on each side to hold the four corners to the Nine Patch.
Double Irish Chain Quilt
Historically this version uses two colors. However, some modern variations commonly have three. The Double Irish Chain has two types of blocks. One block is relatively plain, while the other resembles a checkerboard. These are alternated to create the diagonal chain. The plain centers of the blocks offer space for elaborate quilting.
Of all the Irish Chain versions, this is perhaps the most popular. Quilters can choose from different versions of the Double Irish Chain. This is also called Chained Five Patch, and Cube Lattice.
One version is known as the New Double Irish Chain or Doors and Windows. This dates to 1936, and was also called Windows and Doors. Done in three colors, it has a checkerboard-like pattern in the center of the blocks.
Aunt Lucinda’s Double Irish Chain is another version of this classic. This has a Nine Patch forming a cross in the center of the block. This design dates to 1906.
The Triple Irish Chain Quilt
This has three squares that form the width of the chain. It typically contains three colors. The Triple Irish Chain is more challenging than the single or double versions. It is called triple because there is a secondary chain located outside the central diagonal double chain. One of the blocks looks like a checkerboard. The piecing sequence must be done precisely to create the main and secondary chains.
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