Mother's Irish Chain

Five Rail Fence 1998

Not many posts lately.  Most of my time has been spent at my childhood home cleaning out closets, delighting in long lost treasures and forgotten memories.  Here's one I'd like to share with you.

Back around 1990 I purchased my first quilting books.  One was Marti Mitchell's "Quilting for People Who Don't Have Time to Quilt."  Sounded like me.  Two young children and a busy household didn't give me much quilting time!

I made Five Rail Fence in 1998 for our queen size bed, followed by Blue Nine Patch in 1990 for our son, and Sticks and Stones in 1992 for our daughter.

Blue Nine Patch 1990

Sticks and Stones 1992

My mother, who was an excellent seamstress, had never made a quilt.  She had made many other home decor items like drapes and bedspreads, but never a quilt.  So, I talked her into making Irish Chain quilts using Marti's book, and she made two matching twin size quilts.

Double Irish Chain about 1995 by Eileen

The colors she chose are so soft and sweet, just like her personality.  Creams, peaches and pinks in tiny florals.   I think I will have to guess that she made them around 1995.  She only made one more quilt.  In 1997 we made a four patch lap quilt for her brother when he had to move to a nursing home. She decided that quilting was not really for her and she stuck with knitting, which she much preferred.

Mother - in a sweater she knitted

Since I have boatloads of quilts, I think these will go to my sister's home.  First, I need to make labels for them!