Riley Blake Little Trees - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Little Trees Quilt Pattern – Free Downloadable PDF by The RBD Designers

The Little Trees quilt pattern by The RBD Designers for Riley Blake is a charming intermediate-level quilting project that results in a finished quilt measuring 44" x 58". This free downloadable PDF pattern guides quilters through constructing a design featuring pieced tree blocks arranged with sashing and two borders, making it an ideal seasonal or everyday throw quilt. The pattern is well-suited for quilters who are comfortable with basic patchwork and are ready to practice the popular stitch-and-flip technique for creating angled shapes without templates.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pieced throw quilt with a repeating tree motif. Each tree block is built in three distinct sections — the tree top, the tree middle, and the tree bottom — which are then assembled with trunk units into complete tree blocks. The finished quilt incorporates 30 Tree Top Units, corresponding tree bottom and trunk sections, sashing strips between blocks, and two rounds of borders to frame the overall design. The result is a graphic, nature-inspired quilt that works beautifully in woodland, holiday, or modern fabric palettes.

Techniques Used

• Stitch-and-Flip (Snowball Corner) Technique: The primary construction method used throughout this pattern. Smaller background squares and rectangles are placed on top of larger tree fabric pieces, a diagonal line is marked, stitched, and then the excess fabric is trimmed away 1/4" from the stitching line before pressing the resulting triangle open. This creates the angled edges that give each tree its pointed, layered silhouette without the need for complex cutting or Y-seams.
• Strip Cutting and Sub-Cutting: Background fabric is cut into 2 1/2" strips across the Width of Fabric (WOF) and then sub-cut into precise rectangular and square segments, streamlining the cutting process for efficient block production.
• Block Assembly in Sections: Each tree is constructed in modular units — top, middle/bottom, and trunk — which are pieced separately and then joined, a technique that simplifies handling and improves accuracy.
• Sashing and Borders: Sashing strips are used to separate and frame individual tree blocks, while two rounds of borders (Border 1 and Border 2) add visual weight and bring the quilt to its finished dimensions.
• Pressing Techniques: The pattern specifies pressing seam allowances toward the background piece after each stitch-and-flip step, which is standard practice for maintaining flat, accurate patchwork.

Stitches and Sewing Methods

• Straight stitch on a marked diagonal line for all stitch-and-flip corner units
• Standard 1/4" quilting seam allowance used throughout all block and border construction
• Trimming excess fabric 1/4" from the stitched diagonal line to reduce bulk before pressing

Materials Required

This pattern calls for quilting cotton fabric in a carefully organized selection of prints and solids. The fabric requirements are as follows:

• Trees Background: 1¼ yards — a single background fabric used throughout all block units and trunk sections
• Tree Fabrics: 1/6 yard each of 10 different fabrics — providing variety and visual interest across the 30 tree blocks
• Trunk Fabric: 1/4 yard
• Sashing: 3/8 yard
• Border 1: 1/2 yard
• Border 2: 7/8 yard
• Binding: 1/2 yard

In addition to fabric, quilters will need standard quilting supplies including a rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and self-healing cutting mat for accurate strip and segment cutting. A sewing machine capable of a consistent straight stitch is essential, along with a marking tool for drawing diagonal lines on fabric pieces prior to stitching. Backing fabric and quilt batting