Fabric Inspiration for Your Only Heart Quilt

May 30

Double Irish Chain quilts are a traditional design that has been around since the 1800s. The Only Heart pattern fills one of the empty spaces with a cute little heart.

The Only Heart pattern can be made with yardage, or you can use it as a stash buster pattern and follow the Fat Quarter (FQ) instructions! If you are looking for some inspiration for your Only Heart quilt, look no further! I have put together several ideas for you.

If you purchase your fabric from the Fat Quarter shop links below, I will receive a small commission. But don’t worry, it does not impact the price for you!

About the Only Heart Pattern

Let me introduce you to the the Double Irish Chain pattern called Only Heart!

This pattern is made up of three blocks that, when put together, create a seamless looking design. This top is assembled using strip piecing which makes it super quick and beginner friendly.

The instructions direct you to press your seams in a way that allows them to nest together nicely. A few people even told me they didn’t have to use any pins!

Quilt Sizes

There are three sizes:

Baby - 37.5” x 45”
Throw - 52.5” x 60”
Twin - 70” x 80”

If you ever need to sew together a quick gift, this would be the perfect pattern to use!

Fabric Requirements

This pattern can be made with yardage or fat quarters. If there is a fabric line you have been eyeing, grab some yardage! If you are trying to pull from your stash, go ahead! It will turn out beautiful and scrappy. When picking your fabrics, make sure the values (lightness or darkness) of the A, B, and C fabrics vary enough that you can tell them apart. If you use Fat Quarters, try to keep all As of a similar value, all Bs of a similar value, and all C’s of a similar value.

These examples show what I mean when I say the values must vary. There is enough difference in the value of the three colors in the first two pictures. This makes the pattern very easy to see. In the third picture, Fabric A and C are too similar in value. Fabric A is not light enough to be easily distinguishable from Fabric C. This makes it look more like an Irish Chain instead of a Double Irish Chain quilt.

Okay, now let’s jump into some mock ups and inspiration!

Haven by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics

The Haven collection from Amy Sinibaldi is one of my favorite collections right now. The bright colors and adorable berries remind me of Spring and Summer. I personally like how silky AGF fabrics are and I LOVE how little they fray. If you have been wanting to try AGF fabrics, this would be a great combo for you. I personally REALLY want to make this version.

Fabric 1: AGF - Crystal Pink

Fabric 2: AGF - Warm Wave

Fabric 3: Berry Drizzle

Reading Nook by Sarah Watts for Ruby Star Society

Reading Nook is such a cute collection! It was so hard to pick my favorites. I really love the adorable cat faces! I settled on the design Heirloom because the flowers are less directional than the cat faces and they still look good when you cut them up. I am not a fan of fussy cutting, but if you are, you could totally substitute in the adorable cat face print.

Fabric 1: Powder in Shell

Fabric 2: Powder in Celestial

Fabric 3: Heirloom in Macaroon

Wild Cottage by Holli Zollinger for Figo Fabrics

I absolutely love the cottagecore aesthetic, and the Wild Cottage collection IS IT. The blues and yellows would be the perfect quilt year round. Like I said, AGF fabrics are my favorite, so I threw in an AGF pure solid as Fabric 1. I used a solid for Fabric 1 because the two prints are a bit busy. If you throw in another print between them, it would be too much and your eyes would not know where to focus.

Fabric 1: AGF - Northern Waters

Fabric 2: Triangles in Clay

Fabric 3: Florals in Slate

Flower Bloom Collection from Art Gallery Fabrics

The Flower Bloom collection gives a very retro vibe. There are so many good prints from that collection that you could use as Fabric 3. I picked this one because the flowers are not directional, so they can be cut any way you want and they will still look good. If you can’t tell, I am not a huge fan of directional fabric. Yellow or green fabric could also look great in place of pink!

Fabric 1: AGF - Snow

Fabric 2: AGF - Sweet Pink

Fabric 3: Growing Paths

Vintage Garden by Rifle Paper Co. - Version 1

I am absolutely in love with the Vintage Blossom (in cream) print from this Rifle Paper Co. collection. It is so beautiful and has so many colors in it. That makes it a perfect Fabric 3 for this quilt! You can make so many different looking quilts by using different colors from the print as Fabric 2. This blue one was an Instagram favorite.

Fabric 1: Kona - Ivory

Fabric 2: AGF - Ocean Waves

Fabric 3: Vintage Blossom in Cream

Vintage Garden by Rifle Paper Co. - Version 2

Like I said…I am OBSESSED! I am not going to be able to make all of these quilts, so someone PLEASE make one of these versions and post in on Instagram so I can see it. This ochre version really surprised me because I don’t usually gravitate towards yellow, but I really like the look of this. What do you think? After you look at the next quilt, you will have to tell me which one is your favorite.

Fabric 1: Kona - Ivory

Fabric 2: Kona Ochre

Fabric 3: Vintage Blossom in Cream

Vintage Garden by Rifle Paper Co. - Version 3

Okay, this is the last mock up! And yes, it is still with the Vintage Blossom print. This is the version I will probably end up making because pink is currently my favorite color. You could also use an orange, red, or green fabric with this Rifle Paper Co. print. There are SO many good options. Which color combo is your favorite with the Vintage Cream print?

Fabric 1: Kona - Ivory

Fabric 2: AGF - Crystal Pink

Fabric 3: Vintage Blossom in Cream

Now that you have some great ideas (and have maybe already purchased the fabric), get out there and make an Only Heart quilt! I can’t wait to see what you make. Please make sure you tag me on Instagram (@thequiltingsmith). Tag what you make with the hashtags #TheQuiltingSmithPatterns and #OnlyHeartQuilt!

Have fun creating!!!