Pink Tulip Quilting

• Project Type: Quilt
• Size: 56 inches by 72 inches
• Fabric: Island Batik Autumn Twilight created by Jerry Khiev for Raija Salomaa
• Technique: AccuQuilt Irish Chain die
• Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, thread by Aurifil, needles by Schmetz 
• Bonus giveaway: Three half yards of Autumn Twilight and matching mini jelly roll of 2.5-inch strips starts on May 19, 2025 and ends on May 24. Winner announced May 25, 2025. Each opportunity to enter the Bonus Giveaway is an entry: tag a friend(s) on the IG post, comment on this blog, follow Pink Tulip Quilting on IG or FB.

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik and its partners.

Autumn Twilight is one of the prettiest Island Batik collections I have worked with. It is a signature collection created by Jerry Khiev for Raija Salomaa of Quilter’s Treasure Chest. I love the mix of colors in this collection, so gorgeous!

The Accuquilt GO! Irish Chain die is one of the newest and is accompanied by six free patterns. I followed the Checkered Irish Chain pattern with a modern twist. There was a juxtaposition of lights and darks in the final orientation of the quilt which created a unique completion.

First, as always, I installed a new Schmetz Microtex Needle and cleaned the bobbin casing on my Brother Dreamweaver. Chrome plated Microtex needle resists heat and wear. The needle stays cooler with less stitch distortion. Thread passes through the eye with less friction. Chrome allows the needle to penetrate through fabric with less resistance. The SCHMETZ Microtex needle is generically known as a “sharp” needle. The very slim acute point creates beautiful topstitching on fashion sewing and perfectly straight stitches for piecing and quilting. Use the SCHMETZ Microtex when precision is paramount.

As you can see from the picture of my design wall below, I played with the Irish Chain layout with a modern twist mixing light and dark pattern pieces. I

Accuquilt GO! Irish Chain die was such a time saver. At six inches wide, I stacked 6 layers at a time. The blocks were sewn together quickly because they were perfectly cut! The final twenty 10-inch blocks were placed in four columns and five rows.

I love using my Oliso Project Iron–perfect for my small studio!

Three rows of sashing were added; a 2.5-inch, a 5-inch and then another 2.5-inch.

My quilter, Ruth McCormick, provided six quilting motif options for me to select. I chose Rhapsody because I love to mix curves with a quilt with angular blocks.

I selected Hobbs Tuscany 100% Unbleached Cotton Batting for this project. Hobbs Tuscany 100% Unbleached Cotton Batting is a low-loft batting, made with the finest virgin cotton available. It resists bunching and shifting. It keeps white or light-colored quilts nice and bright.

When I picked up the quilt from Ruth, I was pleased with the final result. The rich colors of Autumn twilight were a pretty modern mix!

If you are looking for more Irish Chain ideas, the Island Batik Ambassadors have incredible projects for this challenge! Here is a list of all of the Island Batik Ambassadors for 2025:

• Brenda Alburl – Songbird Designs
• Susan Deshensky – Lady Blue Quilts Studio
• Tina Dillard – Quilting Affection Designs
• Brittany Fisher – Bobbin with Brittany
• Kimberly Flannagan – Kimberly’s Quilts
• Preeti Harris – Sew Preeti Quilts
• Mania Hatziioannidi – Mania for Quilts
• Kim Jamieson-Hirst – Chatterbox Quilts
• Connie Kauffman Kauffman Designs
• Connie Kresin Campbell – Freemotion by the River
• Emily Leachman – The Darling Dogwood
• Denise Looney – A Quiltery
• Leah Malasky – Quilted Delights
• Susan Michaels – Dragonfly Fiberart
• Lisa Pickering – Lisa’s Quilting Passion
• Sarah Pitcher – Pitcher’s Boutique
• Gail Sheppard – Quilting Gail
• Carol Stanek – Stitch with Color
• Solomae Stoycoff – Cuddle Cat Quiltworks
• Jennifer Thomas – Curlicue Creations
• Suzy Webster – Websterquilt