Riley Blake Eat, Drink & Be Merry - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Eat, Drink & Be Merry Quilt Pattern – Free Downloadable PDF

The Riley Blake Eat, Drink & Be Merry pattern is a free downloadable PDF from Riley Blake Designs that guides quilters through creating a festive, holiday-themed quilt measuring a finished 50" x 50". With its cheerful table-setting motif — featuring letters, cutlery, and a decorative plate — this design makes a charming seasonal throw or lap quilt suited to beginner quilters who already have a basic familiarity with quilting technique and terminology.

About the Finished Project

This is a quilted blanket or throw with a finished size of 50 inches by 50 inches, built around a central 24" x 24" finished block. The block features appliquéd letters and cutlery shapes cut from provided templates, surrounded by multiple pieced borders that frame the central design and build out the quilt to its full square dimensions. The result is a bold, graphic holiday piece ideal for table display, gifting, or seasonal home décor.

Techniques Used

• Appliqué: Letters and cutlery motifs are cut from supplied templates. The pattern instructs quilters to add a ¼" seam allowance to each template piece and to reverse the templates if necessary depending on the chosen appliqué method. This flexibility means the pattern is compatible with a variety of popular appliqué approaches, including fusible web appliqué, needle-turn appliqué, and other favorite methods.
• Pieced borders: The quilt features at least three numbered border rounds — Border 1, Border 3, and Border 5 — each constructed from strips cut at 4½" x width of fabric (WOF). Strip-piecing and straight seam construction are the primary skills required for these sections.
• Standard quilt assembly: All measurements include a ¼" seam allowance, and all seams are sewn with right sides together unless otherwise noted — standard quilting construction practice.

Stitches and Construction Methods

• Straight stitch piecing for all border strips and block assembly, sewn at a consistent ¼" seam allowance throughout.
• Appliqué stitching for securing the letter and cutlery motifs to the central block — the specific stitch type (blanket stitch, slip stitch, satin stitch, etc.) will depend on the quilter's preferred appliqué method, as the pattern allows for personal choice.

Fabrics and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically around Riley Blake Designs fabric collections, with three coordinating fabrics called out by name and SKU:

• Red Main (C4860 Red): ¾ yard (70 cm) — used for key design elements including Border 3 strips cut at 4½" x WOF.
• Red Plate (C4861 Red): 5/8 yard (60 cm) — contributes to the quilt's design, with Border 1 strips cut at 4½" x WOF.
• Red Stripe (C4863 Red): 1 yard (95 cm) — the largest fabric requirement, used for Border 5 strips cut at 4½" x WOF, with 5 strips required.
• A Beige Dot fabric is also referenced for the appliqué template pieces, including the letters and cutlery shapes that form the central decorative block.

As a quilting project, this pattern requires quilting cotton fabric, a rotary cutter, quilting ruler, and cutting mat for accurate strip cutting, and a sewing machine capable of consistent ¼" seam piecing. Standard quilting notions such as pins, an iron for pressing seams, and backing and batting materials will also be needed to complete the finished throw.

Difficulty and Format

Rated as a beginner quilting project, Eat, Drink & Be Merry is accessible to those who understand basic quilting vocabulary