Moda Fabrics Flag of Valor Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Flag of Valor Quilt Pattern by Minick and Simpson for Moda Fabrics – Pattern Summary

The Flag of Valor Quilt is a downloadable PDF quilt pattern designed by Minick and Simpson for Moda Fabrics. This patriotic quilt finishes at 53¼" x 65" and is rated intermediate difficulty, making it an excellent project for quilters who are comfortable with basic patchwork and are ready to tackle more precise piecing techniques. The design is available as a free downloadable PDF, making it an accessible choice for quilters looking to create a striking, flag-inspired statement quilt.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a lap or throw-sized quilt measuring 53¼" x 65" with a bold, patriotic aesthetic inspired by the American flag. The quilt features 18 star blocks arranged in three columns of six, combined with long red floral sashing strips and bunting or star fabric to evoke the look of a flag with stars and stripes. The overall design has a classic Americana feel, characteristic of the Minick and Simpson design aesthetic known for its vintage, folk-art-inspired quilts.

Quilt Design and Layout

The quilt is built around 18 individual star blocks, each featuring a unique combination of a single star print fabric and a single background fabric, giving the quilt a scrappy, varied appearance while maintaining a cohesive overall design. The blocks are assembled into three vertical columns of six star blocks each. Long 7½" x 48½" red floral strips are added between and alongside the columns to create the striped, flag-like structure of the quilt. Four side blocks are also constructed to complete the layout and frame the star columns.

Star Block Construction

Each of the 18 star blocks is made using a combination of print and background fabrics. The star points are created using a classic folded-corner or snowball technique, sometimes called the stitch-and-flip method, which is a foundational quilting technique for creating sharp, accurate triangle points without the need for cutting individual triangles. This method involves:

• Drawing a diagonal line on the wrong side of small 2" x 2" print squares
• Layering the marked square onto a 2" x 3½" background rectangle, right sides together, in the correct orientation
• Sewing directly on the drawn diagonal line
• Trimming ¼" from the sewn line to reduce bulk
• Pressing the resulting triangle open to the corner to form a star point unit
• Repeating this process with a second 2" x 2" square on the same rectangle to complete a flying-geese-style unit

This stitch-and-flip technique is repeated across all star units, requiring accuracy in both sewing and pressing to ensure crisp, well-aligned star points throughout the quilt.

Side Block Construction

In addition to the star blocks, the pattern includes four side blocks that help frame the quilt's column layout. These side blocks each incorporate 2" x 2" background squares added to the corners of a central unit using the same diagonal sewing technique. Two side blocks are then joined with a 3½" x 3½" print square to form a larger unit, which is integrated into the quilt's overall assembly.

Techniques Used

• Stitch-and-flip (folded corner) technique – used extensively for creating star points and corner triangles without cutting bias edges
• Half-square triangle construction – background squares are cut in half diagonally for certain units
• Strip cutting and sub-cutting – fabrics are cut into strips and then sub-cut into squares and rectangles for efficient piecing
• Column-based quilt assembly – star blocks are assembled into vertical columns before being joined with sashing strips
• Pressing techniques – seams are pressed in one direction throughout for consistency and reduced bulk
• Straight-grain binding – the quilt is finished