Well you’re in for some good luck today! We have a lovely pattern to stitch and whether you are Irish or not, this motif looks great on any quilt. Stitched on green fabric, like this Kona cotton, it looks like a shamrock. Stitched on pink fabric, it will look like a flower.
THE IRISH CHAIN FREE MOTION QUILT TUTORIAL
Begin by drawing two lines 1-1/2 inch apart. These are our “rails” -drawn lines that help us keep our lines straight and will be erased when we are done stitching. Next draw a little “tick mark” every 1-1/2 inch along the bottom rail. This tick mark will help us center each of our shamrock leaves.
Begin stitching 3/4 inch ahead of the first tick mark. Stitch a sweeping upward curve. Stop. Stitch a side ways heart, leaving a small opening and Stop again.
Now stitch a sideways teardrop shape and head out of the small opening. Stop here.
Next, stitch a right-side-up heart, again leaving a small opening.
NOTE-try to avoid stitching over any previous line of stitching as you stitch the upright heart.
Stitch a teardrop within this heart.
Now stitch a sideways heart on the right side of the shamrock. Followed by another teardrop.
Sweep a curving line back to the bottom rail and up at your tick mark to begin the next shamrock.
This chain looks great all by itself…but if you want to do a little more…
Echo quilt the entire chain and add another mirror image row of shamrocks. Gorgeous!
NOTE-The above tutorial was stitched on Kona cotton with Aurifil 50 wt cotton thread in the bobbin and Sulky Rayon in the top with a Schmetz 80 Topstitch needle on my domestic sewing machine–a Bernina 820 without a BSR.
Now the Irish haven’t always been lucky, but once in awhile they found a Pot-of-Gold–or lucky clover…or an Irish chain!
More good luck–another Shamrock tutorial from 2013–The Spiral Shamrock–It’s lucky, too!
I’m off to chase a rainbow,
Leprechaun Lori
PS…All tutorials, photos and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. I’d consider myself lucky if you’d re-blog and Pin, but please do it with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other uses, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.
