Sláinte! Begun

 

For the final challenge for Project Quilting, we've been prompted to work with "Irish Chain". Of course, that means green of some sort, and since I've been dyeing lots and lots of greens trying to match my Temperature Quilt greens, I have a lot to choose from. I cut out twelve 4.5" squares and paired them up. By the way, this is called Sláinte, which is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for Cheers! 

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I watched a great tutorial for making this sort of block (Double Nine Patch) and followed the instructions. First the opposite sides of the squares are sewn together using a short stitch as all the seams are getting pressed open.

Then the sewn squares are cut vertically in the center in line with the seams.

And then cross cut horizontally which gives you four pairs of squares sewn together. 

After pressing open all the seams, I started arranging the sewn pairs. I swear this part took the longest.

This one didn't really work to show the pattern of the Irish Chain block which a sort of spreading out across a quilt type of block instead of small and contained.

I like this one as it reminds me of a Brigid's Cross, but I didn't want to make something that wide as this was now seeming like a table runner shaped thing in my mind.

This is what I ended up going with, the essence of the connecting blocks in the Irish Chain block pattern, but the skinny version. 

The blank spaces will get filled in with strips of one of the same fabrics. I tried out several of them and landed on this one. Now to get this assembled, layered, quilted, finished and posted in time for the deadline on Sunday.