Windham Fabrics Walnut Avenue - Downloadable PDF

Walnut Avenue Quilt Pattern by Stephanie Sheridan of Stitched Together Studios for Windham Fabrics

The Walnut Avenue pattern is a free downloadable PDF designed by Stephanie Sheridan of Stitched Together Studios and published by Windham Fabrics. This intermediate-level quilting project produces a stunning pieced quilt suitable for use as a blanket or throw. The design is built around a structured, repeating block layout that creates visual rhythm and movement across the finished quilt top, making it an excellent project for quilters who are comfortable with precise cutting and unit assembly and are ready to take their skills to the next level.

Quilt Design Overview

The Walnut Avenue quilt is composed of two distinct block types — Block 1 and Block 2 — each made in a quantity of 10 blocks, for a total of 20 pieced blocks. These two block types alternate across the quilt in a carefully planned arrangement of five rows of working order (WOR), labeled 1 WOR through 5 WOR. The alternating placement of Block 1 and Block 2 throughout the layout creates a dynamic, interlocking visual effect that is characteristic of traditional and contemporary quilt design.

Block Construction and Units

Each block is assembled from a series of smaller pieced units. The pattern specifies four distinct unit types that are constructed before the blocks are assembled:

• HC Unit — make 40
• HD Unit — make 40
• FG Unit — make 40
• FE Unit — make 40

The high quantity of each unit — 40 of each type — reflects a chain-piecing approach that is well suited to intermediate quilters. Chain piecing is a time-saving technique in which multiple units are sewn one after another without cutting the thread between them, dramatically increasing efficiency when making large numbers of identical units. Once all units are constructed, they are combined with additional fabric pieces — referenced in the pattern using letter and number codes such as A2, M1, and M2 — to complete Block 1 and Block 2.

Block 1 Assembly

Block 1 incorporates HC units, HD units, and fabric pieces coded A2, M1, and M2. The arrangement of these components within the block creates the geometric patchwork design that defines the Walnut Avenue aesthetic. Accurate pressing and consistent seam allowances are essential at this stage to ensure that the units nest together cleanly during final assembly.

Block 2 Assembly

Block 2 uses a similar construction method, also incorporating HC and HD units alongside A2 and M2 fabric pieces. While Block 2 shares some components with Block 1, its internal arrangement differs, which is what creates the alternating visual effect when the two block types are placed side by side in the quilt layout.

Quilt Layout and Borders

The 20 finished blocks are arranged in a grid of five rows, with Block 1 and Block 2 alternating in a checkerboard-style sequence throughout all rows. This layout is clearly mapped out in the pattern diagram, making it straightforward to follow even for quilters who are newer to working with multi-block arrangements.

The quilt top is finished with a structured border system using two border fabrics identified as H and K. The border strips are cut to precise dimensions:

• H border strips — cut at 3-1/2" wide, with lengths of 54-1/2" and 60-1/2" to frame the inner quilt top on all sides
• K border strips — cut at 6-1/2" wide, with lengths of 66-1/2", applied as the outer border to complete the quilt's perimeter

The use of two border rounds — a narrower H border and a wider K border — is a classic quilting technique that adds visual framing and