The Irish Chain Quilt Block Tutorial: A Fresh Twist on a Classic Design and Easier Than It Looks
Looking for a classic quilt block that’s easy to piece but still makes a stunning impact? This 12" Irish Chain variation—cousin to the well-known Double Irish Chain—delivers just that.
In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the simple building blocks that bring this design to life: crisp four-patches, tidy half-square triangles, and a striking square-in-a-square centerpiece.
Whether you’re a confident beginner or an experienced quilter in the mood for something quick and satisfying, this block is a beautiful blend of tradition and simplicity. Let’s dive in!
Fabric Requirements for a 12" Finished Irish Chain Quilt Block:
- Fabric 1/Cream: 2 - 4" squares, 4 - 3.5" squares, 16 - 2" squares
- Fabric 2/Peach: 1 - 6.5" square
- Fabric 3/Gold: 1 - 4" square
- Fabric 4/Red: 1 - 4" square
- Fabric 5/Medium Brown: 8 - 2" squares
- Fabric 6/Dark Brown: 8 - 2" squares
Sewing Directions:
Four Patch Units:
Step 1:
Using eight of the Fabric 1/Cream 2" squares and the Fabric 5/Medium Brown 2" squares sew together 4 Four Patch units like the ones in the picture below. You can see in the lower right patch that I used the tweak/twirl/furl method for pressing the seam allowances. You can find a detailed tutorial for making Four Patch units at https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/how-to-sew-a-basic-four-patch-quilt-block
If I were making multiple blocks, I would use the strip piecing method for making these units (which you can find in the Four Patch tutorial linked above).
Step 2:
Repeat Step 1 only substituting the Fabric 6/Dark Brown 2" squares for the Medium Brown squares.
Half Square Triangle Units:
Step 3:
Using the two Fabric 1/Cream 4" squares, the Fabric 3/Gold 4" square, and the Fabric 4/Red 4" square, sew together four Half Square Triangle (HST) units like the ones in the picture below. Press the seam allowances toward the darker fabrics. Trim/square up the units to 3.5". You can find my tutorial for making basic Half Square Triangles at https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/how-to-sew-a-basic-half-square-triangle-block
Square in a Square Unit:
Step 4:
Using the Fabric 3/Peach 6.5" square, and four Fabric 1/Cream 3.5" squares "snowball" the corners of the Peach 6.5" square. I like to work on two opposite corners at a time. Click Square in a Square for a detailed tutorial on making this unit.
Because this is a larger size unit, I also sewed another seam about 1/2" away from the marked line so I can get four bonus half square triangles to use in another project!
Step 5:
Sew together at Step 1 and a Step 2 unit as shown in the picture below. Press the seam allowance. Repeat for a total of 2 units.
Step 6:
Repeat Step 5 only reversing the placement of the Four Patch units as shown below.
Putting It All Together:
Step 7:
Lay out all the units as shown in the picture below. From here the block goes together like an uneven Nine Patch block.
Step 8:
Sew the units into three rows as shown below.
Step 9:
Press the seam allowances away from the Four Patch units as shown in the picture below.
Step 10:
Sew the three rows together to complete the block.
Step 11:
Press the seam allowances toward the center of the block as shown below.
Layout Ideas:
Here is the basic 4 x 4 layout using colors similar to the tutorial.
This example uses the same coloring and layout as above but adds in narrow (1") sashing and cornerstones.
This is an alternating block where every other block is a simple Snowball block. I also made all the half square triangle units in the Irish Chain block the same.
For a slight variation of the above layout, the alternating block has a diamond in the center.
Here's an on-point example using a scrappy block with background fabric extending into the setting triangles.
This is another scrappy example with alternating applique blocks and background fabric for the setting triangles.
Conclusion:
I enjoyed sewing this block together! It went together quickly and I love how it makes the "chain" when multiple blocks are sewn together.
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you like it and want to see more, just click HERE to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free PDF quilt pattern called "Chained Weathervane".
Happy Quilting!
Elaine
P.S. Looking for more easy blocks? Take a look at these beginner-friendly tutorials: https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/tagged/tutorials_beginning-blocks
P.P.S. Check out my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/fabric406