Moda Fabrics Nature's Basket Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Nature's Basket Quilt Pattern – Downloadable PDF Summary

The Nature's Basket Quilt by Moda Fabrics is a beautifully structured patchwork quilt pattern featuring the Nature's Basket fabric collection by Blackbird Designs for Moda. This intermediate-level quilting project produces a finished quilt measuring 61½" x 76½", making it a generous lap or throw size. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF and is designed to make the most of a coordinated fat quarter bundle, resulting in a quilt with rich contrast between light, medium, and dark fabrics.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a traditional-style patchwork quilt with a finished size of 61½" x 76½". The design is built around a combination of main blocks, 3-patch units, and side units, arranged in alternating Row A and Row B configurations. The interplay of light and dark fabrics from the Nature's Basket collection gives the quilt its visual depth and classic charm. The layout creates a rhythmic, structured appearance that is characteristic of Blackbird Designs' signature aesthetic.

Fabric and Materials Required

Primary Fabric

• 1 Nature's Basket Fat Quarter Bundle (product code 2720AB) – contains 40 fat quarters, each measuring 18" x 22", for a total of 2,720 square inches of fabric across the bundle
• The bundle includes a mix of light fat quarters (17 total) and medium and dark fat quarters (23 total), providing the contrast essential to the block design

Additional Fabric Requirements

• Binding: ⅔ yard of Nature's Basket fabric (product code 2725 12)
• Backing: 5 yards of fabric

Cutting Instructions Overview

The pattern provides detailed cutting diagrams for both light and dark fat quarters, ensuring efficient use of every piece of fabric in the bundle.

From Each of the 17 Light Fat Quarters, Cut:

• 4 strips measuring 2" x 22" (yielding a total of 68 strips across all light fat quarters)
• From these strips: 46 strips are set aside for strip piecing
• From the remaining strips: 16 rectangles measuring 2" x 5" and 142 squares measuring 2" x 2"

From Each of the 23 Medium and Dark Fat Quarters, Cut:

• 1 strip measuring 2" x 22" (reserved for strip piecing)
• 5 squares measuring 5" x 5"
• 2 strips measuring 2" x 15", from which 14 squares measuring 2" x 2" are cut

Techniques Used

This pattern relies on several core quilting techniques that are well-suited to an intermediate quilter. The construction method is efficient and organized, making use of strip piecing to speed up the assembly of repeated units.

• Strip piecing: Long fabric strips are sewn together and then sub-cut into smaller units, a time-saving technique that ensures consistent sizing across all blocks. A total of 46 light strips and 23 dark strips are designated for this process.
• 3-patch unit construction: Small pieced units made from strip-pieced segments are assembled into 3-patch combinations that serve as sashing or connector blocks within the quilt layout.
• Block assembly: Main blocks are constructed from the 5" squares and 2" units cut from the fat quarters, combining light and dark fabrics for contrast.
• Row construction: The quilt is assembled in two alternating row types — Row A (joining 3-patches and main blocks) and Row B (joining side units