Riley Blake Darling - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Darling Quilt Pattern – Free Downloadable PDF by Lindsay Wilkes

The Darling quilt pattern is a free downloadable PDF designed by Lindsay Wilkes and published by Riley Blake Designs. This intermediate-level quilting project produces a stunning 74" x 74" finished square quilt, built from 18" x 18" finished blocks. The pattern draws on a cheerful, coordinated palette of prints and solids, making it an ideal showcase for a curated fat quarter bundle.

What Is Being Made

Quilters following this pattern will construct a large lap or throw quilt measuring 74 inches square. The design is block-based, with each finished block measuring 18" x 18". The overall layout incorporates pieced blocks, sashing, and a two-part border system, resulting in a structured yet visually lively quilt top.

Materials Required

• 1 Dainty Darling Fat Quarter Bundle (FQ-5620-18) – the primary print fabric source, featuring an assortment of coordinated Riley Blake prints including floral, stripe, and diamond designs in yellow, aqua, pink, and green colorways
• 1½ yards (1.4 m) of C5850 Aqua Main – a supporting fabric used for Border 2, cut into 7 strips at 6½" x WOF (width of fabric)
• 3 yards (2.75 m) of C120 Riley White Solid – a crisp white solid used extensively for background squares and sashing elements throughout the quilt
• 5/8 yard (60 cm) of binding fabric – used to finish the quilt edges

No yarn, knitting needles, or crochet hooks are involved; this is a fabric and thread project requiring standard quilting tools including a rotary cutter, cutting mat, quilting ruler, and a sewing machine capable of an accurate ¼" seam allowance.

Techniques Used

• Precise rotary cutting – multiple fabric pieces are cut to exact dimensions, including 5" x 5", 4½" x 4½", and 2½" x 2½" squares from a wide variety of fat quarter prints
• Block piecing – individual squares and units are assembled into 18" x 18" finished blocks using consistent seam allowances
• Sashing construction – the pattern instructs quilters to measure through the center of the quilt before cutting sashing and border pieces, a best practice that ensures accurate fit and prevents wavy borders
• Two-border application – a structured two-part border system (including a Border 2 cut from the aqua main fabric) frames the quilt center
• Right-sides-together sewing – all piecing is completed with right sides facing, following standard quilting convention
• Binding – the quilt is finished with a traditional binding cut from a dedicated binding fabric

Stitches and Sewing Details

• All seams are sewn at a ¼" seam allowance, which is the quilting industry standard and critical for block accuracy at the 18" finished size
• Seam allowances are included in all cutting measurements, so no additional math is required when cutting pieces
• The pattern notes that seam allowances vary across sections, reinforcing the importance of measuring the quilt center before cutting sashing and borders

Fabric Cutting Highlights

The cutting requirements are detailed and organized by fabric. From the Dainty Darling Fat Quarter Bundle, quilters cut a variety of squares from each individual print, including:

• Yellow floral: 2 squares at 5" x 5" and 2 squares at 4½" x 4½"
• Aqua square print: 2 squares at 5" x 5", 2 squares at 4½" x 4½", and 5 squares at 2½" x 2½"
• Pink square print: 2 squares at 5"