I like plain grids on my Irish Chain quilts, with a nice pattern in the border if it's solid (prints don't show the quilting anyhow, so I don't bother).

Oh, irish chans are so nice, you can stitch the chains in the ditch, and then do as simple or difficult a mofit in the centre panel as you like. I sometimes just stich a dig diamond in the centre panels, but jackie, yours is soooo gorgeous!!! I think i have to get a darning foot for my machine, so i can at least try more than stitch in the ditch :)

The altered Irish chain that is begging me to find the thread my three year old hid from me yesterday while I was at the vet's office (she was home with daddy) will be machine quilted on the diagonals, simple but I think it will add futher defination to the chains.

WOW that is just down right beautiful. Love the red..

What a nice gift! I would say quilt in the diagonals. That will give it nice dimension and should not be girly at all!

Jacquemoe, that is a beeeaaauuutttiiifffuuulll quilt

I'm getting ready to make an Irish Chain -- thought I would do a celtic knot in the open space, then just cross hatch or X's in the chain. My chains are purples, so I thought I would do the celtic knot in a deep purple. Going to quilt by hand, but this should be fairly easy to do by machine.

I think this quilt looks wonderful when the blocks are quilted right down the middle and form an X. The quilting is all straight line so it is easier if you have a steady hand.

You can do free hand in the open spaces or continue the straight line stitching. But you must keep the quilting even or you will ripple the quilt.

Hope this makes sense I looked for a picture and have not found one yet..

tricia

Loretta, thanks for that link. I needed the 3 variations and the different sizes.

judee

:D Here is a pic of the Irish Chain I did and just used the straight line diagonally, by machine. My adult son really liked it and he is very sensitive to "girly" things.

judee

Here's the grid I mean:

The squares are 1 1/2"

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...lts/redtic.jpg

This is one of the quilts on my bed. As you can see, I didn't make my bed yet today. :lol: