Postage Stamp Irish Chain

When I was 13, my family visited the home of my Great Aunt Norma. It was the one and only time I would ever have the pleasure of seeing her in person, but it had a tremendous effect on my life. Why? Because she showed us closets and shelves and more closets full of beautiful quilts. I was no stranger to the sewing machine; I’d been sewing in 4-H and at home for years already, but those quilts spoke to my soul. I remember telling my mother that I wanted to do that: take fabric scraps and create beauty! Ok. Maybe I didn’t use those words, but I know I told her I wanted to learn how to quilt. I’ll save the story of my first quilting efforts for another post. This one is about this postage stamp Irish Chain quilt:

I didn’t find time to really learn to quilt until my husband and I were out of college and had started a family. I started to correspond with my Aunt for quilting advice and such. We wrote actual letters back in the dark ages before the internet! She even mailed me some of her orphan blocks. (Orphan blocks are usually orphaned for a reason, you know!)

 

Then came the day when my mother called me to tell me Aunt Norma had died. Her daughter was kind enough to send  me a box off 1 1/2, 2, and 2 1/2 inch squares that Aunt Norma used for charity quilts.

The above photo also has squares I’ve added. Actually, I guess the next one does, too.

She also sent me these finished squares of a cross stitched state quilt.

I don’t know when I’ll get around to doing something with those, but I decided right away to use the 1/12″ squares to make an Irish Chain. I also started cutting more 1 1/2″ squares from my own scraps.

Some 20 years later, I have finally called this project done–at least the top! I am not going to add any borders, nor do any fancy quilting. Working on it for over 20 years has  meant the machines used changed, plus my skill level changed; as a result, not all the blocks were the same size when I went to sew them together. I trimmed some down a bit and “fudged” big time!

This quilt would definitely NOT win any awards. Many of the seams don’t match, and there’s a bit of wonkiness to the edges. But for me, this quilt is a memory keeper. When I look at it and see the old fabrics from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and so on, I think about my Aunt who wouldn’t dream of throwing fabric away if she could use it for a charity quilt. And when I see fabrics from my own early quilting days, memories of my children when they were young and then not so young come back. It’s amazing how such a tiny piece of fabric can trigger such huge memories and emotions.

My finished top is 60 inches square and has 3,600 one and a half inch squares. Think of the memories caught within its seams! I can’t  wait to quilt it and have it finally done so I can wrap myself in it and feel my Aunt’s arms around me!

I have this fabric in my stash. I’m going to use it for the back.

I think it’s a fitting tribute to the woman who inspired me and encouraged me on my road to become a quilter!

Now, what to do with all the other squares in those boxes. Hmmm….

 

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