Something to Crow About - Downloadable PDF

Something to Crow About Quilt Pattern by Rebecca Baer for Riley Blake Designs

Something to Crow About is a free downloadable PDF quilt pattern designed by Rebecca Baer and published by Riley Blake Designs. This cheerful, rooster-themed quilt is a wonderful project for quilters who have a basic knowledge of quilting techniques and terminology, making it an ideal choice for confident beginners and intermediate quilters alike.

About the Finished Quilt

The completed quilt measures a generous 66 inches by 86 inches, making it a comfortable lap or throw quilt size. The design features a striking combination of Diamond blocks as the primary design element, each finishing at 10 inches by 10 inches. The overall layout incorporates multiple colorways of the Diamond block — including Cream Diamond, Green Diamond, and Red Diamond variations — creating a dynamic, multi-toned quilt top with visual depth and movement.

Design and Block Construction

The pattern centers on pieced Diamond blocks constructed from precisely cut rectangles. Each block colorway requires cutting strips from width-of-fabric (WOF) yardage and then sub-cutting those strips into three specific rectangle sizes used to build the diamond shapes:

• 1¾" x 3" rectangles — the shortest unit, used to begin building the diamond shape
• 1¾" x 5½" rectangles — the mid-length unit, adding dimension to the block center
• 1¾" x 8" rectangles — the longest unit, completing the outer portions of the diamond

The graduated rectangle sizes create the illusion of a diamond or elongated star shape within each block. The number of rectangles cut per colorway varies to reflect how many blocks of each color appear in the final quilt layout — for example, the Red Diamond colorway requires 16 rectangles of each size, indicating it is the most prominent diamond color in the design, while the Cream Diamond uses 9 rectangles of each size and the Green Diamond uses 11 rectangles of each size.

Borders and Finishing

The quilt includes at least one border treatment. Border 1 is cut from the Green Diamond fabric, requiring 7 strips cut at 2½" x WOF. This border frames the central block arrangement and contributes to the quilt's finished dimensions. Additional borders or binding details may be included in the full pattern.

Featured Fabric

The pattern is designed to showcase Riley Blake Designs fabric, with specific fabric callouts including C5071 Black, described as a black rooster print, requiring 3/8 yard (35 cm). This rooster-themed print is central to the quilt's playful, farmhouse-inspired personality and gives the pattern its name. Additional fabrics in cream, green, and red coordinate with the rooster print to build the full quilt palette.

Quilting Techniques Used

• Strip cutting and sub-cutting — strips are cut at consistent widths across the width of fabric, then cross-cut into specific rectangle lengths
• Precise piecing with ¼" seam allowances — all measurements in the pattern include a standard ¼" seam allowance, essential for accurate block construction
• Right-sides-together sewing — the standard quilting construction method used throughout
• Block-based quilt construction — individual Diamond blocks are assembled and then arranged into the full quilt top
• Bordered quilt layout — the central field of blocks is framed with cut-and-sewn border strips

Materials and Tools

As a quilting pattern, Something to Crow About is made using quilting cotton fabric, specifically Riley Blake Designs cotton prints and solids. Quilters will need:

• Quilting cotton fabric in multiple colorways including black rooster print (C5071 Black), cream,