May Island Batik Ambassador Irish Chain Blog Hop

The May Island Batik Ambassador challenge is all about the Irish Chain pattern.  

Accuquilt Go! is one of the sponsors of the Ambassador program and this year they supplied the Ambassadors with their Irish Chain 10" finished block die (55649).  They also included the Go! cutting mat to go with it.

Cutting with the die makes the process quick and easy.  The die also comes with a pattern on the back to make a lovely scrappy Irish Chain Throw quilt.

Another part of the challenge this month was to use our Surprise fabric bundle of a new Winter 2024 Island Batik Collection.

My package contained the collection called Essence by Jerry Khiev.  These fabrics are a lovely blend of blue/teals and purple - some of my favorite colors!.

The traditional Irish Chain pattern only uses two colors.  I used 16 out of the collection to make a lovely scrappy Irish Chain throw quilt.  The four fabrics I decided not to use all have a little more of a lime green color and I decided to use the blue//teal and purples.

I used the Irish Batik foundation called Mint for the background which blended perfectly with the Essence collection.  The foundation fabric called Rice also blended nicely and I used it for the backing.

I went with the typical Irish Chain block and added a square in a square block that accentuates some of the fabrics.

Here is a computer image of the design layout.

Piecing was quick and easy.  I used Hobbs Cotton Batting and sewed with Schmetz needles to complete the quilt.

I was pressed for time to finish the quilt in time for the block hop, so my friend Ande Stephens machine quilted it for me.  I was so grateful!  She did a great all over pantograph, using a light blue thread to quilt it.

I wanted to take a photo outside with our blooming ornamental pear tree, but clouds and wind wouldn't allow it on the day I could take a photo, so my pictures are taken inside.

I made this quilt to suit the challenge requirements of a lap size or throw quilt. Usually I prefer to make smaller quilts, so I challenged myself to make a mini of this quilt using the same fabrics.

This is the same quilt only smaller.  It finished at 15 1/2" x 15 1/2".  I left off one row to make it square instead of rectangle.

Many thanks to Island Batik, Accuquilt Go!, Hobbs Batting, and Schmetz needles for supplying products to use in this challenge.

Be sure and check out the Island Batik blog each week of the Hop for their great giveaways!  The fabrics in the prize bundles are amazing!

I will be having a giveaway of 4 fat quarters (or close to fat quarters) of Island Batik fabrics.  The colors will be a surprise!  Leave a comment below to enter.  Make sure I can contact you if you enter.  USA entries only due to postage costs.  Prize will be awarded at the end of the Blog Hop

I hope you continue to enjoy the Irish Chain Blog Hop.  Below are a listing of all the Ambassadors so you can check out what they all made.  

Renee Atkinson @ Pink Tulip Quilting
Tina Dillard @ Quilting Affection Designs
Connie Kauffman @ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman @ Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney @ A Quiltery
Susan Deshensky @ Lady Blue Quilt Studio
Brittany Fisher @ Bobbin with Brittany
Carol Stanek @ Stitch with Color
Solomae Stoycoff @ Cuddle Cat Quiltworks
Jennifer Thomas @ Curlicue Creations
Gail Sheppard @ Quilting Gail

Preeti Harris @ Sew Preeti Quilts
Susan Michaels @ Dragonfly Fiberart
Connie Kresin Campbell@Free Motion by the River
Leah Malasky @ Quilted Delights
Lisa Pickering @ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Sarah Pitcher @ Pitcher’s Boutique LLC
Suzy Webster @ Webster Quilt
Mania Hatziioannidi @ Mania for Quilts
Kimberly Flannagan @ Kimberly’s Quilts
Kim Jamieson-Hirst @ Chatterbox Quilts
Brenda Alburl @ Songbird Designs