The 3017 Quilt - An Alternate Layout Journey

We’ve all been there- eyeing our growing mountain of scraps and wondering where we’ll shove the leftovers after we finish our next quilt. And also: wouldn’t it be really nice to use all these wonderful random bits of fabric we’ve been saving??

I had a goal to not buy any fabric this year, and to instead shop my stash (*spoiler alert I did not meet this goal… short story at the end of this blog if you feel like reading why ;) I also wanted to try my hand at something a bit scrappy, and I thought that my 3017 Quilt was kind of perfect for this. The 3017 Quilt is made of twenty five 8.5” blocks, framed in with striped corners. It presents the perfect opportunity to play with either colors, prints, themes, or a mix of all those things. So- I set about making a new 3017 Quilt, utilizing my scraps and/or stash to come up with a fun layout. This turned out harder than I thought! In this blog, I’ll talk about: having too many options (and being indecisive), doing what feels right for you, and stepping (slightly) out of your comfort zone. Then, I’ll give you the fabric requirements and cutting instructions you need to make 3 alternate versions of The 3017 Quilt.

Let’s get into it!

(Also- you’ll need to purchase The 3017 Quilt pattern for the full instructions on making the blocks and assembling! This blog is just an extension of the pattern for those looking for a few more design options :)

Original layout of The 3017 Quilt

Coming Up With a Theme (Too Many Options)

Honestly, if you’ve seen my work you know I’m not a scrappy quilter, and I’m almost exclusively a user of solids. I stick to clean lines, simple shapes, and like to keep things pretty un-busy. But I also (somehow) have a decent stash of print fabric, so I thought I’d challenge myself. I came up with many (MANY) ideas, stood hemming and hawing in front of my fabric stash for far too long, and ended up abandoning most ideas for a variety of different reasons. Here are some of the ideas I tossed around. Even though I didn’t end up making any of these, they would all be amazing ideas for The 3017!

• Using bigger pieces of scraps (you need [25] 8.5” square pieces) and making it totally scrappy

• Doing some fun fussy cutting (this route maybe speaking specifically to the Ruby Star and Tula fans out there)

• Playing with color (creating rainbow or ombre effects)

• Playing with a theme. Some I considered were: using big floral prints; using my precious stash of Carolyn Friedlander prints; going with a woodland animals motif (why do I have so many woodland animal prints?!)

Settling On A Design (Doing What Feels Right)

Ultimately I settled on something that felt very much like me- an orderly design within a design. I picked out three fabrics I loved together and wondered how I could use this limited palette within the confines of this particular quilt pattern. I started sketching out different placement ideas using only three different fabrics and knew I was heading down the right track. Ultimately, this is what I came up with, a sort of radiating shape:

Alternate Layout #1 Mock Up- A Design Within A Design

For the fabric, I used:

• Daily Zen by Michele D'Amore for Benartex - Quill in Split Pea

• Quilt Blocks by Carolyn Friedlander - Kept in Black

• Silver Lining by Hoodie Crescent for Stof Fabrics - Lights in Orange

• Kona Cotton in Sky

• Kona Cotton in Navy

The Daily Zen I purchased sooooo long ago at Marden’s in Maine (an AMAZING local chain to get discounted fabric, if you’re ever in the area). The Silver Lining fabric is also from Marden’s- everything else I had laying around just waiting to be used (probably purchased at Gather Here in Cambridge, MA, an amazing shop).

Was it was scary to step outside of my solids-only comfort zone? Yes, definitely. But also pretty fun to play around and see what I could make with what I had on hand.

You Can Make This Too! (Alternate Layout #1 Math)

Now that I had a design to move forward with, I needed to do a bit of quilt math to make sure I had enough. So I’d love to share the fabric requirements and cutting instructions for the alternate layout shown above, as well as two additional designs!

Worth noting: for each alternate layout, the fabrics listed only replace Fabric 1 in the pattern- you’ll use the same quantities for Fabrics 2 and 3.

Here’s what I used for Alternate Layout #1:

How To Make Alternate Layout #1

-Follow cutting instructions outlined above, then follow the piecing instructions as outlined in the 3017 Quilt pattern for all (25) blocks.

-Before assembling, set aside (4) Block A’s made with Fabric 1-3, and (1) Block A made with Fabric 1-2. Then sew the remaining Block A’s and the Block B’s.

-Start assembling (Step 25 in the pattern), making sure you are following the layout seen above. Don’t forget- this pattern is assembled in columns (not rows), so pay attention to block placement AND take care when using directional print fabric!

-Once you assemble your columns you’ll continue assembling the quilt as shown in the pattern.

Alternate Layout #1- Quilt Top Complete!

More Layout Options- Alternate Layouts #2 and #3

For the second alternate layout, I wanted to give a Fat Quarter option. I don’t usually use pre-cuts (I’m a yardage girl!) but there are a few lines that came out recently that I really love, so I wanted to play around with these prints in my mock ups. This Simply Cozy line from Zen Chic came out earlier this summer and it’s so lovely. I’m a sucker for mustard yellows, pale pinks, and very cool retro designs so this one really spoke to me.

You can use 6 Fat Quarters here (plus one extra 8.5” square is needed for the center!)- I’ve given a layout suggestion but would definitely encourage you to play around with placement of the blocks to see what fits best for your style!

I also think this pattern can work if you have a layer cake hanging around you want to put to good use. So for the third alternate layout, my mockup uses prints from the very newly released Geometry line by Ruby Star Society. These prints are so fun- this pattern would work well to showcase them all!

With any of these alternate layouts, it’s important to make sure you are assembling the columns in the correct way you would like, and ensuring that the block orientation is what you want. I find it helpful to lay the blocks out on the floor (or a design wall if you have it) and take a picture so you can refer to it if you get confused or forgetful about the layout.

I hope you felt inspired to make something new today! Whether that is with your scraps, with a fat quarter you’ve had lying around, or with a brand new layer cake that you just picked up and can’t wait to use. The 3017 Quilt is a fun pattern to make and play around with.

I’d love to see your version of The 3017 Quilt! Please tag me on Instagram so I can see your gorgeous makes!

*Short story about how I managed to fail my goal of not buying fabric this year…

I’ve been low-key on the hunt for some fabric from the Outback Wife line by Gertrude Made ever since I saw this French Dart Dress from Maven (I mean, just look at the green floral print!!) The fabric line came out in 2018 so it’s not particularly easy to come by. Although I’m trying to refrain from purchasing fabric this year, I ended up finding some of the Rachel print in pink and grabbing it. It’s not the green floral that I wanted, but it’s still so so lovely. When out of print fabric that you’ve been pining over comes up for grabs, sometimes you just need to make the purchase!

Outback Wife by Gertrude Made in Pink Rachel