I have a blue and white Irish Chain UFO. I really like the idea of cross hatching the chain itself. What about a Celtic design for the center?

I'm quilting (by hand) an irish chain now! I'm just putting an X through the squares and it's turning out nicely!

I have made several Irish Chain quilts in varying sizes and I always machine quilt using a walking foot and going diagonally across the quilt, sometimes in just one direction and other times using cross hatching. I think it's a great quilt to machine quilt, particularly using straight line quilting. Hope you share the results with us on QB.

One of my first quilts was a nine patch with setting squares. I crossed the nine patches on a diagonal, stitched in the ditch and then hand quilted a very simple oak leaf outline in the setting squares. The hand quilting was way better than I was on the machine and it made an nice contrast (quilted in white/cream that matched the square)

Just a small word of advice, Instead of trying to roll the edges of your quilt to fit under the arm, puddle it up so you have a smooth surface. I think you will find that helps a lot. Also, look at some of the tutorials here on the board, they are very helpful. Good luck with your first try.

I would use a cookie cutter to 'draw' a flower, then echo it. I did that with the negative spaces in my Carpenter Star. Your chains can be stitched diagonally as others suggested. Actually, I drew my flower on waxed paper and stitched through it because I didn't want to mark the quilt. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...y-t158183.html

Thanks everyone, I am having a hard time sandwiching this quilt since it is so big. I do not have a wall or open space on the floor large enough. I layed out on hard wood floor but it keeps moving I tried to tape it down but tape will not stick. Thought I had had the back nice and straight the put the batting on and the backing moved and bunched up. I think I need to get a piece of plywood or an old ping pong table. Will have to see what I can come oup with . Any sugestions what to use. Thanks again

Sharon Schamber's method of rolling the top and back on boards. Works very well for me. Just watch the video a couple of times and go buy 2 1X4s in white 8 foot length. I don't hand baste mine, but use pins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

Thanks irishrose: just watched the video that is a great idea. I think that you would still need a large table for a larger quilt but I really like the idea thanks again

beautiful quilt not sure I want to try something like that yet but I really like the idea. Maybe I should try that on a smaller quilt. I know I will try it sometime. Thanks again