Moda Fabrics Peaks and Valleys Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Peaks and Valleys Quilt Pattern – Downloadable PDF Summary

The Peaks and Valleys quilt pattern is a free downloadable PDF from Moda Fabrics, designed in the studio of Miss Rosie. This intermediate-level quilting project produces a finished quilt measuring 64" x 72", making it a generous lap or throw size suitable for everyday use or as a decorative accent. The design takes its name from the visual rhythm created by half-square triangle units arranged to suggest rising peaks and descending valleys — a classic geometric effect that is both striking and timeless.

Featured Fabric Collection

The pattern is specifically designed to showcase Tahoe Ski Week by Mara Penny for Moda Fabrics, a collection that evokes the cozy, adventurous spirit of mountain winters. The design pairs this printed fabric with a clean, neutral background to allow the prints to shine and the geometric piecing to read clearly.

Fabric Requirements

• 1 Tahoe Ski Week Layer Cake (item number 13340LC) — a pre-cut collection of 10" x 10" fabric squares featuring the full range of prints from the Tahoe Ski Week line
• 1 Bella Solids 9900 98 Layer Cake (item number 9900LC 98) for the background, or alternatively 3 yards of yardage if not using the pre-cut option
• 5/8 yard of fabric for binding
• 4¼ yards of fabric for backing

The use of Layer Cakes — Moda Fabrics' signature pre-cut 10" square bundles — makes this pattern particularly beginner-friendly in terms of fabric preparation, even though the overall project is rated as intermediate in difficulty. Pre-cuts eliminate much of the initial cutting work and ensure a well-coordinated palette straight out of the bundle.

Techniques Used

The central technique in the Peaks and Valleys quilt is the construction of half-triangle squares (HTSs), also commonly known as half-square triangles (HSTs). These are among the most fundamental and versatile units in quilting, formed by joining two contrasting fabric squares diagonally to create a square block divided into two triangular halves. When arranged in multiples, half-square triangle units can produce an enormous variety of visual patterns, and in this design they create the characteristic peaks-and-valleys movement across the quilt surface.

A particularly notable feature of this pattern is that it was made using Cake Mix Recipe 1 — a pad of specialty paper by Moda Fabrics designed to work directly with Layer Cake squares. Cake Mix Recipe papers are printed with sewing lines and cutting guides that allow quilters to layer two 10" squares together, sew along the marked lines, and cut apart to yield multiple accurate half-square triangle units with minimal measuring or marking. This method greatly increases precision and speed, especially when working with pre-cut Layer Cake squares.

Key Techniques at a Glance

• Half-triangle square (HTS) construction using Cake Mix Recipe 1 paper
• Pre-cut Layer Cake integration — working with 10" x 10" pre-cut squares for efficient fabric use
• Yardage cutting (optional) — if substituting yardage for the background Layer Cake, cutting 9 strips of 10" x 42" along the width of fabric, then subcutting into 36 squares of 10" x 10"
• Scant ¼" seam allowances throughout assembly — a standard quilting practice where seams are sewn just a thread's width inside the ¼" mark to account for thread take-up and pressing, ensuring blocks finish at the correct size
• Block assembly using a total of 36 recipe cards from the Cake Mix pad

Stitches and Sewing Details

All piecing in the Peaks and Valleys quilt is done with a scant ¼" straight stitch, which is the universal standard for patchwork quilting. This precise seam allowance is