double irish chain quilt block

Double Irish Chain

Double Irish Chain quilt block has been a very popular quilt block for many years. The final quilt is a very impressive one that is really a true traditional beauty.

I have been wanting to make one for some time now, and this tutorial has awakened something in me.

It is a quilt that looks really complicated, but careful! This is just an illusion. The actual block is super-easy, and I consider it perfect for beginners, as it makes you practice A LOT with seam nesting.

double irish chain quilt
via Martin Maurais
a little bit of history

via womenfolk.com

There is some uncertainty whether the Double Irish Chain quilt block could be an example of another romantic myth or if the pattern truly came from Ireland.

Current documentation on the Irish Chain quilt pattern indicates that it was developed in America in the early 1800s. Quilt historian Barbara Brackman, states that 1814 is the earliest known date for this pattern. She goes on to say, dated examples appear consistently across the decades, indicating the design’s popularity throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

cutting instructions for the double irish chain quilt block

This is a block that consists of two different blocks, joined together. You really can’t mess this block. Use just a light and a dark fabric, and you can never be wrong! In any case start by making a test block before cutting pieces for the whole quilt. It will make you more confident to continue and make the whole thing.

And always remember FINISHED SIZE means the size it will be in a completed quilt. The measurements given already have the ¼ inch allowance included.

Finished Block Size

*SQ = Square/Squares

cut 1 sq from light fabric
cut 4 sq from dark fabric
cut 3 strips from dark & 2 strips from light fabric
cut 4 strips from light fabric
Cut 2 strips from dark fabric and 3 strips from light fabric

10 x 5 inches

3.5”

1.5”

1.5” x 3.5”

1.5” x 3.5”

1.5” x 5”

20 x 10 inches

6.5”

2.5”

2.5” x 5.5”

2.5” x 6.5”

2.5” x 8”

double irish chain quilt
via Megan Collins
names of the block

Grandmother’s Irish Chain, Irish Chain, Cube Lattice, Mary Moore’s Double Irish Chain (with four-leaf clover applique), Double Irish Cross (with four-leaf clover applique), Double Irish Chain (with four hearts applique), Tiger Lily (with tiger lily applique)

#REFERENCE: Maggie Malone “5500 Quilt Blocks Designs”
double irish chain quilt scrappy
via @seasidequilting
Block Variations

Just by changing the layout of your fabric squares and maybe adding a color or two you can easily make the following variations of the block using the same tutorial. Some of these variations will be different tutorials as they have an extra interest.

double irish chain quilt block variations
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Video tutorial of the Double Irish Chain quilt block

I hope you will enjoy this video tutorial on how to make the DOUBLE IRISH CHAIN quilt block and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel for more quilt blocks!

Have you made this block using our tutorial?
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Modern quilts by Zafiro Vaxevanidou

Zarkadia Quilting Co. is a home-based company that focuses on making special and unique quilts that hug and caress. Quilts are love, tenderness, warmth and cure. Enjoy and be inspired by this art form and know yourself in the process.

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