Riley Blake Welcome To The Lake - Downloadable PDF

Welcome To The Lake Quilt Pattern by Penny Rose – Free Downloadable PDF

Welcome To The Lake is a free downloadable quilt pattern designed by Penny Rose and released through Riley Blake Designs. Showcasing the charming Fishing Lodge by Penny Rose Studios fabric collection, this pattern produces a finished quilt measuring 63½" x 68" — a generous lap or throw size that celebrates the relaxed, rustic atmosphere of lakeside living. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it immediately accessible for quilters eager to get started.

About the Design

The quilt centers around a large, bold focal rectangle cut from the Blue Main fabric, which anchors the composition and allows the scenic or thematic print of the Fishing Lodge collection to shine. Surrounding this center panel are four successive borders, each adding framing detail and visual interest. The combination of structured borders and pre-cut stacker squares gives the quilt a classic, well-proportioned look reminiscent of traditional medallion-style quilts. The finished piece is ideal as a cozy throw, a decorative bed quilt for a guest room, or a charming addition to a cabin or lake house.

Techniques Used

This pattern is designed for quilters with a basic knowledge of quilting technique and terminology, making it an excellent project for confident beginners and intermediate quilters alike. Key techniques include:

• Medallion-style quilt construction – building outward from a large central rectangle by adding successive border rounds
• Strip piecing – cutting and sewing strips width-of-fabric (WOF) for efficient border assembly
• Pre-cut integration – incorporating squares from a 5-Inch Stacker directly into the border design, saving cutting time and ensuring fabric coordination
• Accurate border measurement – measuring through the center of the quilt before cutting each border to account for any variation in seam allowances, a best practice that ensures flat, square results
• Sewing with right sides together throughout all piecing steps
• Quilt sandwich assembly – layering the quilt top, batting, and backing before quilting
• Binding – finishing the edges with fabric from the Fishing Lodge collection for a cohesive, polished look

Quilt Structure and Border Breakdown

Understanding the four-border layout helps quilters plan their fabric placement and cutting sequence effectively:

• Quilt Center: A single large rectangle cut at 37" x 41½" from the Blue Main fabric (C6630 Blue), forming the dramatic focal point of the design
• Border 1: A narrow framing border in Beach Solid (C120 Beach), with side borders at 41½" and top/bottom borders at 41" — cut from 2½" x WOF strips
• Border 2: A pieced border assembled from the 5-Inch Stacker squares, sewn into rows of 10 squares for the sides and 11 squares for the top and bottom, adding a lively, scrappy element to the design
• Border 3: A second solid border in Beach Solid, with sides at 54½" and top/bottom at 54" — cut from 2½" x WOF strips, echoing Border 1 for visual harmony
• Border 4: A wide outer border in Blue Gear (C6631 Blue), cut from 5½" x WOF strips, with sides at 58½" and top/bottom at 64", providing a bold, grounding frame for the entire composition

Stitches and Sewing Notes

This is a straight-stitch quilting project throughout. All piecing is done with a standard ¼" seam allowance, which is the industry standard for quilting and ensures precise block and border sizing. The pattern emphasizes the importance of measuring borders through the quilt center rather than along the edges, as seam allowances can vary slightly across a large quilt top. Sewing side borders before top and bottom borders is specified at each stage to maintain squareness.

Materials and Fabric