Moda Fabrics Jolly Whales Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Jolly Whales Quilt – Downloadable PDF Pattern Summary

About This Quilt Pattern

The Jolly Whales Quilt is a free downloadable PDF pattern from Moda Fabrics, designed by Janet Clare as part of the More Hearty Good Wishes fabric collection. This cheerful quilt finishes at 42" x 42½", making it an ideal lap quilt, baby quilt, or decorative wall hanging. The design features three appliquéd whales set against a pieced striped background, combining classic patchwork construction with fabric appliqué for a playful, nautical aesthetic. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a great next step for quilters who are comfortable with basic piecing and ready to explore fusible appliqué techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single finished quilt measuring 42" x 42½". The design showcases three whale motifs appliquéd onto a horizontally striped pieced background. For added visual interest, the middle whale is reversed, creating a sense of movement and variety across the quilt top. The overall look is bold, graphic, and whimsical, well suited to nurseries, children's rooms, or any space that calls for a touch of nautical charm.

Techniques Used

• Fusible appliqué: The whale shapes are traced onto fusible web, pressed onto fabric, and then fused in place onto the pieced background. Quilters are advised to position the whales carefully before pressing, as the fusible bond is permanent once heat is applied.
• Strip piecing: The background is constructed by cutting 9" x width-of-fabric strips from each of seven assorted fabrics and sewing them together to create a striped foundation for the appliqué.
• Binding construction: Five 2½" x width-of-fabric strips are sewn end to end to create continuous binding, which is then applied to finish the quilt edges.
• Embroidery embellishment: Navy 6-strand embroidery floss is used to add hand-stitched detail, lending a charming handcrafted quality to the finished piece.
• Button embellishment: 3½" navy buttons are incorporated as decorative accents, likely serving as the whales' eyes or other playful details.
• Standard quilting construction: The pattern uses ¼" seam allowances throughout, with pressing directions indicated by arrows in the instructions — a hallmark of precise, well-engineered Moda quilt patterns.

Stitches and Sewing Details

• ¼" seam allowance used consistently for all piecing
• Fusible web pressing to adhere whale appliqué shapes to the background
• Hand embroidery using 6-strand navy embroidery floss for surface detail
• Button attachment stitching for the 3½" navy buttons

Materials Required

• Whale fabric: 1 yard — Moda fabric SKU 1373-11
• Background fabrics: 7 assorted 10" x width-of-fabric pieces in SKUs 1354-20, 1370-17, 1371-12, 1371-16, 1372-15, 1373-16, and 1373-22 from the More Hearty Good Wishes collection by Janet Clare for Moda
• Binding: ½ yard — Moda fabric SKU 1350-12
• Backing: 2⅝ yards of fabric
• Fusible web for appliqué preparation
• Navy 6-strand embroidery floss for hand embellishment
• 3½" navy buttons for decorative detail

Pattern Format and Availability