Down Memory Lane Quilt-Along | Week 3 – Check In

It’s week 3 of the Down Memory Lane Quilt-Along! How are you travelling with your quilt block piecing?

If you are following along with the schedule, you should have at least half of your blocks completed, and this week you will make the remainder.

A big thank you to everyone for all your encouraging feedback so far. The general consensus is that this pattern is easy to understand and simple to piece – which is exactly what I was aiming for.

I have had a number of people let me know how relaxing they have found piecing this quilt, which makes me think it might be one they would make again.

And because of this, I thought – if I was to make this quilt pattern again, what might I do differently…?

Tips on making the Down Memory Lane quilt pattern a second time:

• Mix and match the fabric combinations that make up the heart pieces. (For the version of this quilt I am making now, I have pieced a combination of single patterned and combined patterned heart blocks. When I made the mini quilt (pictured above), I used the same fabric for the whole heart, and when I made the Best Loved Memories edition of this quilt using the large block, I mixed and matched every single heart.)
• Both the mini quilt and regular pattern have instructions for a border, but you could choose to eliminate it completely. Or, for a greater sense of negative space, you could keep the final border the same as the background fabric (combining border 1 & 2). Depending on your choice of fabric, this could provide the quilt with a clean modern aesthetic. You might even consider randomly removing some of the blocks and replace them with a simple background square to give the quilt some contemporary movement.
• Use a variety of low volume fabrics for the background pieces to truly give this quilt a scrappy look. I was really tempted to take this approach for my quilt top this time round – maybe I will next time ;).

Tips on making any quilt pattern a second time:

• Avoid a white background and instead opt for a different colour or texture such as linen. Changing a background from light to dark (or dark to light) provides a whole new feel to the quilt.
• Use your scraps. Just because a pattern suggests you need a certain number of fat quarters, doesn’t mean you do! Use what you have to make up the pieces in a block and explore colour and pattern in a unique way.
• Adjust the setting – perhaps you could turn a block on point, or lay out your blocks in an unexpected way.
• Keep the palette monochrome – any colour combined with a neutral background creates a classic look.
• Turn the pattern into a mini quilt by either miniaturising the block or making a single block.

Until next time,

While it often feels that there are too many new and exciting patterns crossing our path each day that are enticing us to make them, it is nice to have a handful of patterns that you know you can make quickly and without any stress whenever you need a quilt in a hurry, or the comfort of a project you are familiar with.

Have you considered making the same quilt pattern a second time?

I hope you do – looking at something familiar from a whole new perspective encourages innovation and helps us grow creatively.

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If you have been fence sitting about joining the quilt-along, there is still plenty of time for you to catch up…

Purchase your pattern now, and join the Facebook group to connect and share your quilt making progress with others in our community. Similarly, on Instagram follow the #dmlqal or #downmemorylanequilt hashtags.

The pattern is still on sale throughout the duration of this quilt-along using the code DMLQAL.

Happy piecing…

Samantha

PS: This week I am offering each participant in the QAL a random chance to win 2 PDF patterns from my shop and a copy of the latest compilation book by Martingale – Fat Quarter Favorites. Be sure to share your work to be in with a chance to win.

xoxo

Week 1	Cutting
Week 2	Piecing the blocks
Week 3	Continue piecing the blocks
Week 4	Quilt top assembly
Week 5	Borders
Week 6	Backing and binding preparation
Week 7	Quilt Parade

Disclosure: This Quilt-Along is sponsored by

Aqua Paisley Studio, Knot & Tread Design, The Fat Quarter Shop, and Moda Fabrics

Aqua Paisley Studio is committed to high standards of integrity and quality.

APS does not promote any brand that does not meet these guidelines.

This post may contain some affiliate links.