Riley Blake Race Car - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Race Car Quilt – Downloadable PDF Pattern by The RBD Designers

The Riley Blake Race Car is a downloadable PDF quilt pattern designed by The RBD Designers for Riley Blake Designs. This intermediate-level quilting project produces a finished quilt measuring 46½" x 63", making it an ideal size for a lap quilt, child's quilt, or decorative throw. The design is built around a lively, motion-inspired block called the Speedster Block, which finishes at 4½" x 4½" and is repeated 30 times across the quilt layout.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pieced quilt in a race car theme, perfectly suited for a child's bedroom, nursery, or as a gift for any young racing enthusiast. The finished dimensions of 46½" x 63" place it comfortably in the lap or throw category. The overall design uses a structured grid of Speedster Blocks set with sashing to create a dynamic, energetic layout that references the speed and excitement of motorsport.

Block Construction – The Speedster Block

The heart of this quilt is the Speedster Block, a pieced unit that finishes at 4½" x 4½". Each block is assembled from the following components:

• 4 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) – the primary design element that creates movement and direction within each block
• 4 assorted print 2" x 2" squares – cut from the print fabric collection to introduce color variety and visual interest
• 1 snow white shade 2" x 2" square – a neutral anchor piece that provides contrast within each block

A total of 30 Speedster Blocks are constructed and then arranged according to the quilt photo for intentional block placement. Each completed Speedster Block is then sewn to a snow white shade 2½" x 4½" rectangle to form individual block rows, with 5 blocks per row.

Quilting Techniques Used

This pattern is rated intermediate difficulty, meaning it is best suited for quilters who already have a foundational understanding of quilting terminology and basic construction methods. Key techniques employed in this pattern include:

• Half Square Triangle (HST) construction – one of the most versatile and widely used techniques in quilting, HSTs are two-color right-triangle units sewn together along the diagonal to form a square. They are the defining design element of the Speedster Block and give the quilt its sense of movement.
• Precise cutting and piecing – all measurements include a standard ¼" seam allowance, which must be maintained consistently throughout for blocks to align correctly.
• Sashing – strips of fabric sewn between blocks to separate and frame them, adding structure and visual breathing room to the overall quilt layout.
• Right sides together (RST) sewing – the standard method used throughout the pattern unless otherwise noted.
• Row assembly – blocks are joined into rows before rows are joined together to complete the quilt top.

Stitches Used

• Straight stitch – the standard stitch used throughout all piecing steps on a sewing machine, sewn at a consistent ¼" seam allowance
• Diagonal seam stitching – used in the construction of Half Square Triangles, where fabric squares are stitched corner to corner on the diagonal before trimming

Materials – Fabric and Notions

This pattern is designed to be used with Riley Blake Designs fabrics, and specific fabric references are provided within the pattern:

• 1 Speedster 2.5-inch Rolie Polie (RP-3900-21) – a pre-cut roll of 2½"-wide fabric strips used for sashing and block construction; Rolie Poolies are a convenient pre-cut format that eliminates much of the cutting work and ensures coordinated fabric combinations
• 1 yard (95 cm) of blue main fabric (C3900 Blue) – used for sashing and blocks