Lala's Irish Chain - Week VII

It's week 7 of Lala's Scrappy Irish Chain Sew along!

I could very nearly hear that your machine was humming along last week.  Assembling the patchwork blocks was a big task!

I was beginning to question myself in making Lala's quilt so large... and then I remembered that it was supposed to be fun!!!  

I took a break and went for a walk and then had a popsicle because it was still hot the day I pieced all of them all a few weeks ago.  

I was refreshed and ready to go again after 30 minutes.

This week shouldn't require quite as much time at the machine.  This week's assignment is to layout the blocks and sew them together.

My design wall is not quite large enough to hold all of them, but I made do and improvised and enlisted some help from some pins.

I worked in 4 sections, labeling the position (upper/lower-R/L) and top rows.

This method allowed me to get the upper and lower right off the wall and removed my concern that the fan or AC would blow a few blocks off.  

I thought that I had meticulously paid attention to the cornerstone fabrics to ensure that two didn't end up diagonally to each other.  I was wrong...  I grumbled to myself and set on the guest bed... where Lala's quilt resides currently... and then I noticed it!  She had two cornerstones of the same fabric as well!

I'm in good company!  If it was good enough for Lala... it's good enough for me!  It stays. ;)

Story time!  When W.D. retired in 1939 he took up gardening.  From the article that appeared in a local paper in 1940 he said:

It all started 15 years ago with 25 tulips - the lovely flower garden that today brings so much joy, pleasure and health.

When Mr. Teegarden had stepped up to a clerk and bought those 25 tulip bulbs, he was a sick man; a man whose body was wracked by pain and whose outlook on life, at the moment wasn't very bright.

At that time, he was suffering from sciatica, which is plenty painful to say the least.  Treatments were giving him scant if any, relief.  He had been so afflicted for 18 months.

On the particular day he had been downtown for a treatment.  He felt his home lacked the beauty of flowers and by some unknown urge was attracted by the tulips, made the purchase.  

"When I got home," he relates, "I went out to set out the bulbs.  It was just about all I could do to get down on the ground and when I had finished setting them in the soil it was a painful job getting up and into the house.

My son suggested I accompany him on a trip into the country that afternoon.  I didn't want to go but was finally persuaded.  As we were returning home the pain that had wracked my body for more than a year suddenly left me.  It's never returned.

They tell me that getting down onto the ground, or in getting back up, I adjusted the nerve that had been giving me the trouble.  If I hadn't bought those tulips - well, I don't know if I'd be telling you any kind of story today."

From that start with tulip, Mr. Teegarden's flower patch expanded bit by bit.  Today it's a treat to view and inspect the array of blossoms and blooms of so many gorgeous colorings and variety.  He has made the utmost of his space.  His plants start blooming early in the spring and continue until frost, so diversified is his selections.

That's quite the green thumb!  I have never had that sort of passion for gardening.  Oh, sure... I enjoy a beautiful flower garden, but I am not willing to devote the time needed to achieve one.  I did, at one time, devote a great amount of time to a vegetable garden.  It was decades ago and it was easy with the rich black soil of the Midwest... I've bemoaned the difficult ground conditions in southern Colorado and short growing season of the area and never even tried. 

Short of a few herbs and hardy flowers that survive without my assistance, I am ok with leaving me with more time to quilt... Like Lala. ;)  You'll notice that she was not mentioned in the article. 

It's time to let you go work on your layout!  But before you go...

What is your favorite flower?

I love roses... the scent of them is intoxicating and transports me back in time to my childhood as I watched my Grandma T, as she would say, "get gussied up" and put on the tiniest bit of makeup... but wild roses capture my heart! 

Leave a comment 'cuz you know I want to hear from you. 

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

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Twists & Turns ~ Sew & Tell - 8/24/26

This week had a super slow start... and then it took off like a tornado.  For this reason, I am extending grace to myself and skipping the weekly feature.  I just don't have the energy to put into it, and I certainly hope that you'll understand...

I started writing my thoughts for a post for later in the week on Monday... explaining that I was in the market for some new quilting rulers - 12-1/2" and 6-1/2"... and asking for personal recommendations.  I plan to use some of my credit from Connecting Threads for the purchase... therefore, my options are Omnigrid and Creative Grids.  What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment with your preference and why.  Thanks! 

The rest is explained by what I wrote on Wednesday as I sat with no power... the upgrade in power service is happening today (as I type on my phone). We are using the camper fridge and freezer as a backup as it operates on propane.

Taking advantage of the vacancy of food in the refrigerator I have cleaned it as it probably hasn't been cleaned in years!

What do I do next? I had a few eggs that were loose and difficult to store/move so I am cooking those up and when those are done, I will be making gf sourdough pancakes on the griddle on the grill.

Yesterday was a warm one and I am thankful that today is cooler. Especially since I can't have any fans to offer any relief.

The basement is in chaos. We have moved everything out of the way in preparation for the installation of a new furnace. We asked for 3 years to get a quote for a new HVAC system... they finally "worked us into their schedule" and now want to start next week. 😵‍💫

I'm feeling overwhelmed and keep reminding myself to take one day at a time and trust the Lord's timing. 

So, I soothe my emotions with creativity... my 100-day challenge as I cook.... since I can't quilt... as I enjoy the book Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly. I enjoyed two other books by her and this one was just as good.

I selected fabrics for the 9-patch block that represent this book in my Bookish Journal Quilt. 

And it has only been 2 hours??? How much longer? What's next? Why not pull out a few cards for paper embroidery?  

The paper embroidery never happened... I went for a walk and then it was time to make lunch.  The power was back on by noon!  Whoop! Whoop!

As soon as the electrician was gone, we removed ductwork and drug the furnace out of the way until a friend could help to haul it out of the basement.  What a dirty, messy job!  The work continued on Thursday as we poured concrete in a small area of the basement... it was under the furnace and when we moved it out of the way we discovered raw dirt!  UGH... 

It was better that WE discovered it and were able to remedy the situation rather than the professionals.  The days all blurred together, and I won't bore you with more details of the entire thing but say that I am bone tired.  However, the hard labor on our part is DONE!  We are ready for the pros and hope to be pleasantly surprised to find that several thousand dollars were saved by our doing the demolition work when the final bill is delivered, in comparison to the quote we received. Praying for God's favor!

Thankfully, I was well prepared with Lala's Irish Chain steps, photos and stories!  If you're following along, you should be getting the patchwork blocks together. Of course, last week I made the suggestion of making a much smaller quilt such as a baby quilt and heard from many that they were going to join in!  I loved hearing that!  The breakdown of the number of pieces needed for each unit can be found here.

I did manage sometime early in the week to get my second Lala's Irish Chain quilt basted and partially quilted... all of the patchwork is outlined.  I'll have a video on Instagram at some point showing how I did it.

That's all I have the energy for... It is naptime!  As I was reminded at church this morning... so I will rest. 💗 Matthew 11:28-30 ~ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Happiness is Homemade at Duck in a Row

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

Handmade Monday at Sum of Their Stories

Senior Salon Pit Stop at Esme Salon

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth

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Lala's Irish Chain - Week VI

Welcome back to week 6 of Lala's Scrappy Irish Chain Sew Along! 

We are chugging right along and on the downhill side of the steps.

This week, now that all of your 2-patch units are ready - one set with the background fabric and the second set with the main color - we will be making your 5x5 patchwork blocks.

Start out by adding one of the remaining main color squares to a scrappy/white two-patch unit.  You will need 32 units (or 28 if making the smaller quilt).  Press seam toward the middle square.

make 1 for each patchwork block you are making

Then layout as shown below... pressing the seams as indicated by the arrows.

Sew 4-patch units 1-4.  Add the final 2-patch unit to each row and to row 5.  Press seams in the direction that the arrows indicate so that seams nest for a crisp corner.

Sew the units together to form rows and press seams as indicated by the arrows...

Join the rows together.  The seam between rows 2 and 3 can be pressed either up or down.  Press the seam between rows 4 and 5 to the top of the block... again, so that the seams will nest together and make nice crisp corners.

This is a big step!  If possible... prep a no guilt:: go quilt recipe and hang out a do not disturb sign so that your family leaves you to the task. ;)

But before you go, I need to tell you the story of 800 Western Avenue and W.D.'s railroad pass...

As I told earlier, W.D. moved his family to Trinidad and he got a job with the Santa Fe Railroad in 1902.  He had the house at 800 Western Avenue built in 1922 after the death of his parents, Samuel (Dec 12, 1919) and Sarah (Jan 21, 1920), just 40 days apart.  W.D. used the money from his parents' estate in Missouri.  I'm told that they could have received more money but W.D.'s younger brother Jim contested the estate, so the lawyers got most of the money.

This house was built by Ed Stanton.  The electric wiring was done by Ralph Werden, Sr.  (my grandma's father) It had a front room, a dining room with built in China cabinet along one wall, windows on the north and east side, with French doors into the front room.  It was in the dining room where the quilt frame was always set up, along the east windows.  The kitchen had an old black cook stove until 1956.  There were three bedrooms, a bath and a basement.

When they moved into the house, since it was in the same block, they used a wheelbarrow and a 2-wheel truck from the Santa Fe Warehouse.  The piano was pushed down the street.

Along San Juan Avenue, W.D. had a row of pine trees with black walnut trees in between.  The black walnut trees came from the farm of Lala's dad, John Davis.  Lala would use the nuts in cakes.  Grandpa said that she made the best black walnut cakes.

Mom told me about when she and her brother, Forrie, were young, Grandpa would walk up the street to the old house with his hands behind him.  Forrie and I would walk behind him with our hands behind us.  He would tell us about the old house and then we would follow him back to the house, all of with our hands behind our backs.  He liked to tell us about the early days of Trinidad and about the floods.

Since W.D. worked for the SFRR, he got a pass for him and his family to ride the train for free.  They often traveled by train to visit family in Missouri.

One story Forrest (my grandpa) told... Mother (Lala) would take the train to Kansas City, Kansas and from there on to Arkansas.  He was about 5 years old and on the train from Kansas to Arkansas.  The seats were too narrow for him to lie down and sleep.  He talked about chiggers which were common in that area and had to be washed off with kerosene.  Also, mosquitos big enough to carry one away.

Forrest would visit his grandfather and grandmother Davis and lots and lots of relatives.  One family was the Dentons.  The children all went swimming in one of the creeks.  Forrest was about 11 years old on this trip.  The girls wore bib overalls.  He had a real, full swimming suit.  For this reason, they thought the Teegarden's were rich.  

W.D. worked for the Santa Fe Freight Office for 37 years.  He was retired longer than he worked.  

They also traveled by train to Arizona, California, Salt Lake City and to visit their son Don in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Because Forrest began traveling at a very young age and had the opportunity to visit many states.  He had a goal of being able to say that he had been to every state.  I don't think he made it before he passed away at age 90.  He traveled internationally as well. 

Well, that seems like a good place to pause and let you get to assembling your patchwork blocks.  But before you go... 

How many states of the US have you been to?

Layovers in airports don't really count... I've been to 28, and counting. :)

I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

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Chain Gang II ~ Sew & Tell - 8/17/26

Welcome back to Melva Loves Scraps and the weekly Sew & Tell party! Another week has zipped on!  The old saying is that "time flies when you're having fun".  If that's the case, then I've been having a grand time! ;)

I'll fill you in on what I've been busy with after this week's Sew & Tell feature.  

Gail at Quilting Gail shared a summary.  She has been participating in a variety of BOMs and has shared the links for each of them.  In addition to those updates, she had finished her Tilt-a-Whirl quilt.  Make a visit over to her blog to see the variety of BOMs she shared.  

Did you know that back in 2018 Gail was one of the featured Quilters Through the Generations interviewees?  You can find that story here.

Quilters Through the Generations was a series that celebrated families of quilters... grandmothers, great-grandmothers, uncles, and cousins.  Not just my family but many others.  

I think that was the beginning of a real interest in my family's history and wanting to find a way to preserve the history and stories... a sort of foundation for what has become integral parts of my sew along events. 

The fact that others have joined me in my journey into the past and made quilts alongside me brings me great joy!  I have enjoyed seeing some progress of Lala's Chain gang - these belong to Melisa, Terry and Carolyn.  The choice of fabric colors and style fits each personality.  

We're 1/2 way through the sew along and honestly, I think you could still catch up if you want to join us!  As I assembled my quilt top I did it in sections and thought that this size, just four columns, four rows would be a great baby quilt.  It would finish, without borders, at 40" square.  It really could be done!  YOU can decide how big you want to make it... and going borderless is ok... and many vintage quilts did not have borders.  

Yes, I am going to make a second quilt... Looking at you, Alycia. LOL! ;) 🙈

Here's what you need to cut for each block:

Setting blocks...

1- 6-1/2" squares of background

4- 2-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles of background

4- 2-1/2" squares of assorted for cornerstones

Patchwork blocks...

4- 2-1/2" squares of background

9- 2-1/2" squares of main color

12- 2-1/2" squares of assorted for patchwork blocks

I have borders on my large top and ready to sandwich it.  That's been a whole thing of itself. *ugh* I had ordered fabric... I thought I was ordering flannel.  Turns out, it was not. :(  No fear... it will not go to waste.

So, I went my only local source for fabric... (walmart) and purchased several precut flannel pieces to use as the batting - I bought all they had.  It was not enough! 😢 After two attempts, I have accepted the fact that I am not supposed to be using flannel as the batting.  I'll be sticking with my fusible batting from Hobbs.  But I will wait for a few days to sandwich and start quilting it... I feel the strong NEED to make a small Lala's scrappy Irish Chain quilt. 

I have worked on editing several video clips about tips and suggestions that have been shared on social media.  You can catch them on instagram here.  

My 100 days of creating continues.  I pieced another scrappy wonky star in yellow and then put them on the design wall.  I have a small space for 3 purple blocks (will purple be next month?) and then I can join the blocks together.

I purchased some fabric in April in Moab (AGF binding fabric) that will be used on this quilt. You can see what it looks like here.  (scroll down toward the end) I think it is the perfect choice. ;)

I'll be chasing DrEAMI squirrels (drop everything and make it) in the studio as I piece a mini–Lala's Irish Chain and listen to more books.

Are you chasing any squirrels?

Will a small Lala's Irish Chain quilt be your squirrel?

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch 

Saturday Sparks at Pieced Pastimes

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Happiness is Homemade at Duck in a Row

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

Handmade Monday at Sum of Their Stories

Senior Salon Pit Stop at Esme Salon

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Lala's Irish Chain - Week V

It's week five of Lala's Irish Chain!

We've reached the midpoint of the sew along and are one step closer to the finish of Lala's Irish Chain!

This week we are making another 2-patch set.  Last week was with the background fabric... this week we are pairing your main color with assorted 2-1/2" squares.  Press seams to the scrappy or jelly roll fabrics.  Make 288 units for an 8x8 layout (252 if making the 7x8)

When you are finished with this step you should have some leftover main color squares... One for each 5x5 block you are making - 32 in my case, or 28 if you are making the smaller quilt like the original. 

It's family story time... W.D. and Lala Teegarden lived at 828 Western which was built by Lala's brother, Albert Davis.  The walls were not plastered.  They were just rough lumber with cheese cloth tacked on with nails that had a metal thing over them (so that the cheesecloth would not easily pull off over the nail heads).  

Luna and Viola (the young ladies I told you about last week parading around in their undergarments in the upstairs bedroom) helped Lala hang the wallpaper which then covered the tacks holding up the cheesecloth.

L-R:  Albert Davidson, Luna, W.D., Don and Lala
Forrest (my grandfather) in front

The house did not have indoor plumbing.  Luna and Viola slept in the one room upstairs with a north facing window.  The house had a front room and a dining room with west facing windows.  It was heated with a stove in the front room.

You'll note again in the photos that the Teegarden family is a well-dressed family. The boys, Donovan and Forrest, were born years apart from the girls with an age gap of 8 years between the boys... they were still as dapper and fashionable as the girls were.  Don is in the top hat, his graduation photo from 1922.  

The photo of Forrest was taken in the garden of the family home at 800 Western Avenue.  I'll offer details of that home next week.  If you'd like to learn a little more about Forrest, you can visit the Bachelor block post from Pieces in the Garden from 2022.

I'll let you go now to sew up your two-sies... made up of 2-1/2" squares in the main color and assorted squares.  Remember, you will have some leftover main color squares to make up the patchwork blocks.  I'll offer the instructions for that step next week as well.

Since we're 1/2 way in the sew along, I thought I would check in...

How's the pace?  

Have the instructions been clear?

I'd love to hear some feedback... Thanks for following along!  I had one message from one of you that had overlooked the very brief instructions last week.  It was easy to do since they were so very short.  For this reason, I made them bold and italicized.  Thank you for letting me know!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Thankful Thursday at Brian's Home

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Modern on Monticello

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Sew & Tell - 8/10/26

It's August and time of year that seems to get busy for many.  Families with children are preparing for back to school and/or squeezing in one last family trip, and gardeners are enjoying the fruits of their labor (whether floral or produce... or both!).

August in our house finds both Dave and I enjoying a walk down memory lane as we celebrate our wedding anniversary.  Monday, the 10th, marks our 41st. I found the following info with a quick search on the web...

While there is no traditional anniversary gift, Topaz has been the associated gemstone for the 41st year of marriage.

The contemporary/modern theme of land is associated with the 41st wedding anniversary. A gift with a land motif signifies all the couple has accomplished since they first met. They have conquered the world together, and now, with their life’s landscape laid out before them, they may go into their future happily side by side. 

If you can’t afford the expense of purchasing real estate for the 41st wedding anniversary, maybe consider a travel-themed present. The chance to explore new lands or a different part of your own country, coupled with the thrill of discovery, is reflected in this year’s theme. At the same time, it would be a thrilling and memorable experience for couples to share together, creating lifelong memories of this anniversary year.

We are not big on gifts for each other, but we do enjoy making plans for a small way to celebrate... I may make some special dinner.  TBD ;)

Dave did nicely ask me if I wanted to "help" him as he spreads a final layer of reground asphalt over the road areas that were affected by the water line project last week.  LOL!  I reminded him that I have an appointment with the dentist.  Hahaha!  Aren't we so romantic?!?

We haven't really changed much!  what do you think?

I do however like the idea of making plans for a trip.  We are planning to make a trip to Illinois for his 45th High School reunion in September.  After the reunion we want to go to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Williamsburg, Kentucky.  More on this to come. 

Let's take a look at this week's Sew & Tell feature. Diann at Little Penguin Quilts shared an assortment of projects that she worked on while procrastinating the projects she had on her "Should do" list.  

She visited here "parts" department and pulled out these string blocks.  It has a calm, beachy look and feel to it.  Sand and surf... it makes me want seafood.  LOL!  I must be hungry...

Diann did eventually get to one of her "should" projects.  She's been using the quilt-as-you-go method on her Patchwork Hearts quilt.

Make a visit to her blog by following the highlighted link above to see what other "spare parts" she played with.

My week was filled with studio time since Dave was occupied with the water project.  The valve replacement was scheduled to happen over Tuesday and Wednesday.  But first, Saturday night's sleep was disrupted (10:20 pm) when he had a phone call from a neighbor saying they had no water.  They live on a hill and there was indeed a main line break at the bottom of said hill. *sigh*  A valve was turned off in an attempt to stop the water flow... it slowed it to a trickle.  That repair was made on Monday.  Tuesday and Wednesday went as planned, though Wednesday was a long day for him... 13 hours.

While he was playing in water, I was happily in the studio, I pieced Lala's Scrappy Irish Chain.  I cut the final 100+ 2-1/2" squares of the main color that I needed.  I wrote up several stories for the coming steps of the sew along and I made two scrappy, wonky star blocks to add to my RSC blocks.  I needed to do a "negative" block to add to the collection, but at another time. ;)

I couldn't hold back!  I pieced... and pieced... and pieced... and I recorded several videos with tips and suggestions for the assembly of the patchwork blocks for Lala's quilt.  I knew it was going to happen.  I just couldn't hold back.  As of Friday, I had1/4 of the quilt together... 😏I'll be editing the videos and getting them on insta and fb as we reach the appropriate steps in the coming weeks.

All the while of working with Lala, I was listening to Libby audio books.  

I finished 2 books this week... both stories told as though reading from journals.

One thousand white women, based on an actual historical event but told through fictional diaries, is the story of a remarkable woman who travels west in 1875 and marries the Chief of the Cheyenne Nation.

I considered it rated R for sexual content...  I skipped forward only two times (I think).

The unselected journals of Emma M. Lion, volume 1... Set in 1883 London, it follows a witty 20-year-old named Emma living in the quirky neighborhood of St. Crispian's. Each short book is written as her personal journal covering about two months of her life.

I have a sequel to the first borrowed for a future listen... I will pass on Emma's journal.  Regency romance is not my favorite... I tried Pride & Prejudice several times and had to give up.

On days that I have not been quilting, I have continued my 100-days of creativity challenge.  I sewed a label onto a quilt and sent it off to the preemie baby of the owner of Cornerstone Tea Co, Stephanie.  She graciously collaborated with me in 2022 on the Pieces in the Garden sew along.  Each month sew along participants had the opportunity to link up their blocks for a chance to win a prize package from her. A generous package, I might add.

In her on-line announcement, she had requested scripture verses to pray over him and surround him.  Psalm 189:17-18 came to my mind immediately.  

How precious to me are your thoughts,

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand

And then I went in search of a baby quilt from my inventory.  (limited because so many are on display at the library) As soon as I saw this quilt, which is a much smaller baby quilt and a perfect size for a preemie - I knew that it was meant for Patrick.

And then I was digging for a ribbon to wrap around it to fancy it up a little... God provided this!  

The ribbon is actually silky blanket binding from projects 13 years ago!  A perfect length and perfect colors... I tied the bow and it was perfect!

I looked up and said, "I know that was You, God." And He winked. ;)

Day 68/100 I made granola.  I've shared the recipe before...  Day 63/100 resulted in No Bake Cookies!  The recipe is from a home-ec class or maybe 6th grade?  I modified the original recipe using ingredients with the substitutions I have learned over the years. 

Coconut sugar and maple sugar in place of white sugar (a total of just 1 cup, not 2), almond milk instead of milk, almond butter instead of peanut butter...  I stirred in a handful of chopped walnuts as an extra. They were delicious!  

Time for me to run.  But before you go, tell me...

Do you have a favorite recipe from your school years?

Or a family favorite that has survived generations?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Scrap Happy Saturday at Super Scrappy

Patchwork & Quilts at The Quilting Patch 

Saturday Sparks at Pieced Pastimes

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Sunday Stash at QuiltPaintCreate

Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy’s Quilts

Happiness is Homemade at Duck in a Row

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Home Matters at Days Filled with Joy

Handmade Monday at Sum of Their Stories

Senior Salon Pit Stop at Esme Salon

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth

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Lala's Irish Chain - Week IV

 

Welcome back to Week 4 of Lala's Irish Chain.  This week's step is making a two-patch unit joining your background 2-1/2" squares with assorted 2-1/2" squares from your jelly roll or stash.

Press seams toward the assorted print fabric.  This will help with nesting seams when the patchwork blocks are assembled.

Make 128 units if making the 8x8 layout, 112 if making the 7x8 layout.

Since Lala was a seamstress, making dresses for several ladies in Trinidad, I am sure she had a good variety of fabrics to choose from, including some feed sack fabrics from flour and sugar bags at the mercantile or store.  

Her paid work as a seamstress gave her some extra spending money.  Possibly to more easily afford the purchase of yardage such as the pink fabric for this quilt.  

The two oldest daughters Luna and Viola were 2 years apart in age. Luna was often sick as a little girl so she did not start school as she should have.  Lala and WD chose to enroll them both in school at the same time and graduated high school together.

As you can see from the photos, they were often dressed alike. 

They were stylish young ladies.  They were not like "cobbler's children who went without shoes".  Their clothing was quite fashionable.  And given the number of photos we have from "back in the day", the family was considered one of the more affluent families in town.  For a family in the early 1900s to have their own camera was quite unusual.

Perhaps Lala presenting her well-dressed family was a sort of a calling card of the day.  

Both Luna and Viola told the story of a time when they were young ladies in the upstairs of the house having fun parading around in their one-piece undergarments. The girls were really having a good time.  A lady had come for a fitting and while she was in the house, the man that came with her waited outside in the front yard.  The man was not bored as he waited patiently.

Isn't that a fun and hilarious story?  Nonetheless... I wonder how many of the fabrics in this quilt came from customer's clothing that Lala made?  Wouldn't it be fun to know?

I'll never know the answer to that... but I did want to know what made the Irish Chain quilts different?  And, what's the difference in the single, double and triple Irish Chain quilts?  In my research I saw two different explanations.

The simple answer had to do with the number of pieces in the patchwork blocks... Single=9-patch or 3x3; Double =5x5 and triple =7x7.

A more detailed and complex answer was offered here.  I'll be honest... I got really confused by their explanation and photos since many of their quilts were with the squares on point or diagonal layout.  But I kept searching...  Several places simplified it by saying that the single Irish Chain was a two-color quilt with the darker contrasting color making a diagonal chain across the quilt.  The double uses three colors in a manner so that there are two chain lines and the triple uses 4 fabrics, making the design more complex. Follow the link above to see more examples of the varying details of a double and triple.

I found most often that single chains were set square.  Many of the double and triple Irish Chain quilts I saw had the blocks on point.  Lala's is unique in the fact that it is set square or straight.  And I decided that technically... it is a Double Irish Chain because it has 25 blocks in the patchwork unit.  But the color placement of the background fabric within the patchwork unit and the cornerstones give some illusion of a more complex layout. 

It is simply Lala's scrappy Irish Chain!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it... LOL.  There you go... you have the next step, so it is time to get busy making two-sies. :)

I've always liked scrappy quilts and still enjoy the occasional "archaeological dig" in the scrap bin and the opportunity to recall where fabrics were used... whether a dress, shorts or pajamas for one of the girls or whose quilt it was purchased for.  Good memories!

Do you like truly scrappy quilts? 

I define this as everything leftover from other projects and you make do... 

Or do you like controlled or organized scrappy?

Which is what I consider this quilt because I used a jelly roll and another collection of fabric that had similar colors and prints.

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Keep piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Put Your Foot Down at The Quiltery 

I Quilted This! at Quilting & Learning

Off The Wall Friday with Nina Marie

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Create, Bake, Grow & Gather at Shabby Art Boutique

Home Matters at Modern on Monticello

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