Moda Fabrics William Morris Hourglass Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics William Morris Hourglass Quilt Pattern – Downloadable PDF Summary

The Moda Fabrics William Morris Hourglass Quilt is a stunning 72" x 80" finished quilt designed as part of a collection inspired by the historic archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum, created exclusively for Moda Fabrics. This free downloadable PDF pattern is rated intermediate difficulty, making it an excellent project for quilters who are comfortable with foundational piecing techniques and are ready to take on more complex block construction and medallion-style design work.

About the Design

The quilt draws its name and visual identity from the classic hourglass block, a timeless quilting motif formed from quarter square triangles. These geometric shapes, when sewn together, create the distinctive hourglass or bowtie silhouette that gives the quilt its structured, rhythmic surface pattern. The overall layout is built around a center medallion framed by multiple borders, a format that reflects traditional quilt-making heritage and pairs beautifully with the William Morris-inspired fabric collection's rich, archival aesthetic.

The finished dimensions of 72" x 80" make this a generous throw or bed quilt, suitable for display or everyday use. The medallion-style construction means the design radiates outward from a central focal point, with each successive border adding visual depth and complexity.

Techniques Used

• Quarter Square Triangle (QST) construction – The primary block unit of this quilt is the hourglass block, built from quarter square triangles. This technique involves cutting squares, sewing them on the diagonal, and trimming to create precise triangular units that form the hourglass shape when combined.
• Medallion quilt layout – The quilt is structured around a center medallion surrounded by multiple framing borders, requiring careful measurement and sequential piecing.
• Border piecing – Multiple border rounds are added around the medallion center, including a narrow Border 1 constructed from 1½"-wide strips, adding fine detail and visual separation between design elements.
• Accurate cutting and sorting – The pattern emphasizes sorting and labeling fabrics as they are cut, organized by use (borders, center medallion, hourglass blocks), which is an important organizational technique when working with a large and varied fabric palette.
• Pressing techniques – Seams are pressed as you go, in one direction, to ensure flat, accurate piecing throughout the construction process.

Stitches and Construction Details

• Standard ¼" seam allowance is used throughout all instructions, as is conventional in quilting.
• Straight-stitch piecing on a sewing machine is the primary method of construction for joining blocks, units, and borders.
• Diagonal seaming is required for the quarter square triangle units that form the hourglass blocks.

Materials – Fabric Requirements

This pattern works with a large and varied fabric palette, reflecting the richness of the William Morris-inspired collection. Fabrics are organized and referenced by number throughout the pattern instructions:

• Fabrics 1–8 – Eight Fat Quarters, each yielding three 5½" x 21" strips, from which 5½" x 5½" squares are cut for the quarter square triangle hourglass blocks. A total of 72 squares (9 from each Fat Quarter) are required for this purpose. Remaining fabric from each Fat Quarter is used to cut 1½" x 18½" strips for Border 1 of the center medallion.
• Fabrics 9–29 – Twenty-one Fat Eighths, each contributing additional pieces to the quilt's construction, including border and medallion elements cut from 1½" x WOF (Width of Fabric) strips.
• Fabric 32 – Contributes 5½" x WOF strips, from which additional 5½" x 5½" squares are cut for the quarter square triangle units.

The use of both Fat Quarters and Fat Eighths across a wide range of fabrics is characteristic of curated quilting collections, allowing quilters to incorporate maximum variety and color