Moda Fabrics Urban Cottage Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Urban Cottage Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern Summary

The Urban Cottage Quilt by Moda Fabrics is a striking intermediate-level quilting project that blends classic, modern retro, and urban aesthetics into a single cohesive design. The finished quilt measures 60" x 60", making it a versatile throw or lap quilt suitable for a variety of home décor styles. This pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF, offering quilters a detailed guide to fabric requirements, cutting instructions, and block construction.

Design Overview and Quilt Structure

The Urban Cottage Quilt features a combination of traditional quilt blocks arranged to create a dynamic, visually layered composition. The design incorporates two primary block types — Crown units and Half Square Triangle (HST) blocks — alongside strategically placed corner squares that frame the overall layout. The interplay of geometric shapes and carefully selected fabrics gives this quilt its distinctive urban-cottage character.

Block Types and Construction Techniques

• Half Square Triangles (HSTs): A foundational quilting unit created by pairing two contrasting fabric squares, sewing diagonally, and pressing open to reveal a two-tone triangle block. In this pattern, Fabric 1 and Fabric 2 are each cut into 11" x 11" squares — eight squares from each fabric — specifically for HST construction. HSTs are one of the most versatile building blocks in quilting and are used here to add movement and contrast throughout the design.
• Crown Units: A more complex geometric block element that requires squares cut twice diagonally (also known as quarter-square triangles). Fabric 2 contributes 11¼" x 11¼" squares cut twice diagonally for these units, while Fabric 3 provides 7⅝" x 7⅝" squares to complete the Crown unit assembly. Crown units add a medallion-like, architectural quality to the quilt's interior design.
• Block Center Triangles: Fabric 3 is also cut into 8" x 8" squares that are then cut once diagonally (half-square cuts) to form the block center elements, providing a bold focal point within each primary block.
• Quilt Corner Squares: Both Fabric 1 and Fabric 2 are cut into 10½" x 10½" squares — four squares each — to serve as the corner blocks that anchor and frame the finished quilt top.

Techniques Used

• Half Square Triangle (HST) construction — pairing and sewing squares on the diagonal for efficient two-at-a-time triangle units
• Quarter-square triangle cutting — cutting squares twice diagonally to produce four triangles per square for Crown unit assembly
• Half-square diagonal cutting — cutting squares once diagonally for block center triangle pieces
• Width of Fabric (WOF) strip cutting — all fabric pieces are cut from WOF strips, a standard quilting technique that maximizes yardage efficiency
• Block assembly and precise piecing — careful alignment of geometric units to maintain pattern accuracy at an intermediate skill level
• Quilt top construction — assembling blocks into a cohesive 60" x 60" layout

Materials and Fabric Requirements

The Urban Cottage Quilt uses six coordinating fabrics from the Moda Fabrics collection, each playing a specific structural and visual role in the design. All fabrics are quilting cotton, the standard choice for patchwork quilting due to its ease of cutting, pressing, and piecing.

Fabric Yardage Breakdown

• Fabric 1 (SKU 11-12945 / 54921-11): 1 yard — used for HST squares and quilt corner squares; listed as 54" wide fabric
• Fabric 2 (SKU