I really love the additional goal I added this year of making one quilt “just for fun” each quarter. Without a clear idea of what I want to make right now, I turned to my stash and started looking for inspiration. I was quickly drawn to a fat quarter stripe from Giucy Giuce’s Natale line for Andover fabrics, so I used it as the inspiration to make my initial fabric pull.
Initial Fabric Pull with Inspiration Print
In my mind, I’m hoping that the fat quarter stripe print will be enough to use as the binding for whatever quilt I might be able to make. So, with that idea in mind, I started thinking about the size of quilt I could make using the fabrics in my initial fabric pull.
Irish Chain Design GIF
I think I have enough fabric to make a baby size (~37″ square?) quilt, and I quickly landed on the idea of making an Irish Chain variation. I am drawn to the idea of using changing sizes of squares for the Irish Chain. Above is an animated GIF showing some of my design ideas.
Down-selected Fabric Pull
With the design more solidified, I was able to down-select and solidify my fabric choices. The hard part for me at the moment is choosing between my favorite two layout options.
Irish Chain Options
So I’d love to know which of the two layouts above is your favorite:
- Left (mostly red)
- Right (golden center)
Left
I love the added dimension of the one on the right.
Right
This was a tough choice, I like both. I am leaning towards the red.
Varying the squares in the chain makes such an interesting design. I prefer the color distribution on the yellow center, right side.
I like the layout on the right with some variation in color.
I love the gold center?( the one on the right) it just pops!
I love the red
I like the golden centre. In these horribly dark times, we need to know there is light, even if at times it only comes from within.
Though now I take a second look (clearly this is a good design! – one of my first baby quilts was Irish chain in red!) the red immediately made me think of the Red Cross, who, along with the Red Crescent, to whom I donate, is trying so hard to help the desperate people in Gaza.
Ooh, what a neat idea to vary the square sizes. I like both designs, but I’ drawn to the one on the right because the gold pulls me in and seems to have more depth.
Like the golden enter
The Golden Center draws your eyes to the center and gives them a “resting area”, if you will. It breaks up all that gorgeous red so the center can say, “Look at Me”.
Left.
I’m drawn to the golden center too and I’m wondering if there’s a way to soften the gradation from red to gold? Maybe another gold in there? Love Irish chains!
Mostly red is my choice
I like the mostly red one on the left.
I already commented on fb that I like the gold center (A LOT!)…. I’m glad you have this among your goals as well. Love the palette you’ve chosen. Enjoy!
I love the one on the left, it’s very calming. I find the one with the gold center is distracting. I think the left one would make a better baby quilt, as well. Love your site!
They are both lovely but I like the golden center.
I like the first one (on the left). What a fun goal, something unexpected once a quarter. Enjoy!
I love the fun goal each month and this is a fun pull. I am more drawn to the one on the left, but there is nothing wrong with the one on the right. Hope that stripe will work for the binding – it is perfect!
You can’t go wrong with either. I lean slightly to the one on the right. And that striped fabric will be perfect for binding.
That is going to be a hard decision… so maybe ….Both!!!