Moda Fabrics Surrounded By Love Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Surrounded By Love Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern Summary

The Surrounded By Love Quilt by Moda Fabrics is a charming, intermediate-level quilting project that results in a finished quilt measuring 73" x 73" — a generous square size suitable for a throw or lap quilt. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF, making it an accessible choice for quilters who want to expand their piecing skills without a significant investment. The design features a repeating block layout built around 11⅜" x 11⅜" blocks, combining geometric piecing techniques to create a visually rich, love-inspired composition.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single, cohesive square quilt with a finished size of 73 inches by 73 inches. The overall design is built from precisely cut and pieced blocks that, when assembled, create the "Surrounded By Love" effect implied by the pattern name. The repeating block structure gives the quilt a structured, symmetrical appearance that is characteristic of traditional quilting design while still feeling fresh and modern through the use of Moda Fabrics' coordinated fabric collection.

Techniques Used

This is an intermediate-level quilting pattern, meaning it is best suited for quilters who are comfortable with basic patchwork and are ready to work with more complex geometric units. The primary techniques employed in this pattern include:

• Half Square Triangles (HST): A foundational quilting technique where two contrasting fabric squares are sewn together diagonally and trimmed to create a square unit with a diagonal seam. HSTs are one of the most versatile building blocks in patchwork quilting.
• Quarter Square Triangles (QST): A more advanced variation of the HST technique. Squares are cut twice diagonally — corner to corner in both directions — to yield four triangles from a single square. The pattern specifies cutting 4¼" x 4¼" squares twice diagonally to produce a total of 48 QST units from Fabric 1 alone. QSTs are commonly used to create hourglass or pinwheel effects within quilt blocks.
• Precise cutting and labeling: The pattern explicitly instructs quilters to label and sort pieces as they are cut, which is an important organizational technique when working with multiple fabrics and unit types. This step prevents costly mix-ups during assembly.
• Accurate ¼" seam allowances: All cutting and sewing instructions are based on a consistent ¼" seam allowance, which is the standard in quilting and critical for blocks to fit together correctly at the stated finished size.
• Directional pressing: The pattern follows the quilting best practice of pressing seams as you go, with seams pressed in the direction of arrows indicated in the instructions. This reduces bulk and helps seams nest together neatly during final assembly.
• Strip cutting from Width of Fabric (WOF): Fabric is cut into strips across the full width of the fabric (WOF), then sub-cut into smaller squares and rectangles. This is an efficient and accurate cutting method used throughout the pattern.

Stitches and Piecing Details

As a quilting pattern, the construction relies on straight-line machine stitching throughout. The key piecing units include:

• 2½" squares — cut in quantity from multiple fabrics for use in block construction
• 4½" x 2½" rectangles — cut from Fabric 1, with 25 units required
• 4¼" x 4¼" squares — cut and then sliced twice diagonally to yield QST triangles
• 2½" squares from Fabric 2 — 54 units cut from four WOF strips

The combination of squares, rectangles, HSTs, and QSTs creates a multi-element block that rewards careful piecing. Quilters should expect to work with bias edges on the triangle units, which require gentle handling to avoid stretching.

Materials – Fabrics

The pattern is designed specifically around a coordinated group of Moda Fabrics prints, each identified by its fabric number. The fabric requirements are as follows: