Moda Fabrics Break of Day Chicken Scratch Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Break of Day Chicken Scratch Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern Summary

About This Quilt Pattern

The Moda Fabrics Break of Day Chicken Scratch Quilt is a free downloadable PDF pattern designed by Moda Fabrics. It produces a finished quilt measuring 64" x 78", constructed from 14" x 14" finished blocks. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for quilters who are comfortable with basic piecing and ready to work with a larger variety of coordinating fabrics. The name "Chicken Scratch" refers to the characteristic scrappy, multi-fabric block construction that gives the quilt its lively, textured visual rhythm.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single bed-sized patchwork quilt. At 64 inches wide by 78 inches long, it is well-suited as a throw or twin-bed quilt. The design is built around a repeating block structure, with each block showcasing a combination of coordinating print fabrics cut into precise rectangles and assembled in a specific layout. The overall effect is a rich, scrappy quilt that highlights the variety of prints available in a fat quarter bundle.

Block Construction and Design

Each 14" x 14" finished block is assembled from a carefully selected grouping of print fabrics. The construction method is as follows:

• Twenty fat quarters are chosen to serve as the main print in each block. From each of these fat quarters, four rectangles measuring 2½" x 14½" are cut.
• From the remaining fat quarters, matching 2½" x 7½" rectangles are cut — three matching pieces from two different print fabrics per block.
• Each block incorporates three different fabric prints, creating a scrappy yet cohesive look within every block unit.
• When working with directional prints, the pattern specifically instructs quilters to ensure the print runs lengthwise (up and down) along each rectangle — an important detail for maintaining visual consistency across the quilt top.

This rectangle-based block construction is a hallmark of the Chicken Scratch style, relying on careful fabric placement and layout rather than complex curved or paper-pieced shapes. The result is a design that is approachable for intermediate quilters while still offering satisfying visual complexity.

Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of fundamental and intermediate quilting techniques:

• Rotary cutting – Precise cutting of fat quarters into uniform rectangles using standard quilting measurements (WOF = Width of Fabric, FQ = Fat Quarter).
• Strip and rectangle piecing – Assembling blocks from pre-cut rectangular units rather than squares or triangles, which streamlines the sewing process.
• Directional fabric placement – Careful orientation of printed fabrics so that motifs run consistently in the correct direction within each block.
• Block layout and quilt top assembly – Arranging the finished blocks into the overall quilt top according to the pattern's assembly instructions.
• Binding application – Finishing the quilt edges with a double-fold binding cut from eight 2¼"-wide WOF strips.

Stitches and Sewing Methods

As a quilting pattern, the primary stitch used throughout construction is the standard straight stitch on a sewing machine, used for all piecing seams. Accurate ¼" seam allowances are essential to ensure that the 14" x 14" finished block size is achieved consistently. Binding is applied using a combination of machine stitching and, typically, hand or machine finishing along the quilt back.

Materials Required

The pattern specifies the following materials:

• Fat quarter bundle – A selection of at least 20 fat quarters for the main block prints, plus additional fat quarters for the secondary rectangle pieces. The featured fabric collection is Break of Day by Moda Fabrics.
• Binding fabric (SKU 27310 16) – ⅝ yard, cut into eight 2¼" x WOF strips.
• Backing