Sew in the Know Newsletter!

Since I live in Limerick Township and it is St. Patrick’s day, it only seems fitting to tell you about my very first quilt - the irish chain quilt… but not until I finish my bowl of irish stew , soda bread and apple tarte.

Ok so I fibbed a little - another irish trait… I did make the irish stew - but with pork and not mutton because we couldn’t find any.  It was almost as good.  I used to raise sheep, and mutton was cheap and easy to come by.  It had a lovely flavour in a stew… but pork had to do this time.

I did make buns - but they were annoyingly white dinner rolls instead of soda bread with currants.  The apple pie was as close as I could get to a traditional apple tarte.  I hope Grandpa and my great grandparents would be proud.  I did serve the stew in irish china that was passed down to me - I am sure it is well over 100 years old.

Back to the irish chain quilt - yes it was my first real try at a quilt - 27 years ago.  I never had it on a bed, just as a throw.  I was terrified back then about making a bed quilt because I had no idea how to quilt it.  I know a little more now than I did back then.

Anyway, the Irish chain and double Irish chain quilt are my favourite quilts to make.  And yes the pattern did originate from Ireland.  Scroll down to learn more about the Irish Chain Quilt. (and about Irish Linen too!)

The Irish chain quilt is a pretty quick quilt top if you use a jelly roll and a background fabric. What I love about it is it has a nice open center where I can quilt feathered wreaths or celtic knots.  

I never did take a quilting class but used the strip quilting method of Eleanor Burns in her “Irish Quilt in a day” book.  I will be offering a workshop this year on Irish Chain quilts - so keep your eyes open!

In other news thank goodness it is looking GREEN today outside. The monsoon like rains we had over the weekend ate up most of the snow!

I would also love to remind you about Studio Tuesdays. We are starting on a Delectable Mountain Quilt this week - and it should be fun. Learn more here

Finally - if you want to make your quilting friends GREEN with envy - why not learn to quilt your own quilts? I am now offering training - learn more here. If you are already a longarmer I also offer free motion training so you can learn how to create great feathers and Grffiti. Scroll down to learn more about Graffiti!

As I have said before and will say again......keep on quilting!

Mandie (the quilter)

Located in Limerick (Near Bancroft) Ontario, she travels hither, thither and yon to spread quilting merriment!

March 17th, 2025

Happy St. Patick's Day!

NEW! I have updated the website to reflect new longarming training I am offering!

You can book a six hour training session, enjoy an after training hike in the woods (if you like) and work in a bright studio with 8 large windows showing off the beauty of nature! Learn more here

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One of first known versions of the Irish Chain Quilt is believed to have been adapted from weaving patterns and used homespun or small pieces of woollen fabric from worn clothing.

The image to the right was created by Jane Valentine and is from the early 1800’s. It has over 10,092 squares - likely all cut from old worn clothing. The image to the right is a photo of the quilt on housed at the National Museum of American History.

Although currently not on display - there are many photos of it online. The pattern is thought to have been brought from Ireland - although an earlier version of the quilt can be found in Ireland and is called "The American Chain" pattern.

Amazingly each small square is likely less than 1 inch and the quilt is hand pieced. The Irish chain has become a favourite pattern and is a fairly easy quilt to make - privided you can sew and cut a straight line!

Eleanor Burns has developed a "Quilt in a Day" version with 2 inch finished squares - and is created using the strip quiltingod. It was the very first quilt I actually finished.

Fast forward 25 years later and I found myself making another irish chain quilt - this time in more muted colours and with new fabrics, not scraps. The quilt - pictured on the right - is actually a double irish chain.

I love the look of the chain but also like the open spaces it creates. It allows the maker to quilt motifs or other things to highlight the quilting as well as the piecing.

I still use the strip quilting method when making the quilt top but the best part of making an Irish Chain quilt is the quilting part. (you knew I would say that!)

It is a go-to pattern when I know someone wants a fancier looking quilt with lots of feather quilting on it. This one was a wedding quilt - and hopefull will become a heirloom.

For someone who likes social order, I never thought I would be a fan of graffiti! Graffiti is often defined as unauthorized scribbling, doodling or marking of a public space. It was commonly attributed to gangs using it to mark their territory or make statements against authority. 

​Graffiti over the years has evolved in may cities to become more Urban Art than territorial markings - and wall murals are a perfect example of that evolution. City cores that were often drab and dirty used urban art in murals on buildings to bring more colour and interest to beautify and add visual interest to spaces that had little vegetation or beauty.  

One of the first places I noticed evolved graffiti - urban art - was in Hamilton on a wall mural on King street as you enter the downtown core. I looked forward to seeing it every day when I rode the bus to work.  

Read more here

Graffiti... and graffiti

One of my favourite textiles is linen. My family - originating partly from Ireland often brags about the "Irish Linen" table cloth that Great Grandma had. The samples I have seen are actually quite old and softened with age.

I have accessed linen here in Canada from a company called

Pure Linen Envy in Dunnville Ontario. They source their linen from Europe and Asia and the pricing is very reasonable. I particularly like the rougher woven linen for making beautiful kitchen towels for decoration and everyday use.

It differs however from true Irish Linen - which is actually made in Ireland from Flax grown in Ireland. There is an Irish Linen Guild that regulates what linen can be called Irish Linen. The reputation of Irish Linen is that it is finer and better wearing linen because of the quality of the flax grown in Ireland and the care with which it is manufactured.

As for the tablecloths passed down from generations past with heritage and lineage from Ireland - I suspect the quality claims are valid. For a fabric to still look and wear so well after 100 years - it must be good quality!

FUN FACT: Linen towels make great work of polishing glass, crystal and even reading glasses as they do not leave any residue or streaks!

Occasionally life gets in the way of our hobbies, addictions and compulsions! If quilting is your therapy and life has gotten in the way of your ability to pay immediately - please let me know!

SHORT ON FUNDS?

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Thanks for reading to the end!

Please pardon any typos... I am a quilter and still brushing up on my editing skills!

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