Riley Blake Thankful - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Thankful Quilt Pattern by Doodlebug Design Inc. — Free Downloadable PDF

The Riley Blake Thankful quilt pattern, designed by Doodlebug Design Inc. and available as a free downloadable PDF, produces a warm, harvest-inspired lap quilt measuring a finished 50" x 59½". This is an intermediate-level quilting project that combines straightforward patchwork construction with a signature half-square-triangle-style technique to create a charming seasonal design perfect for autumn décor.

About the Finished Quilt

The completed quilt finishes at 50 inches wide by 59½ inches tall, making it an ideal lap or throw quilt. The overall design is built from a repeating block layout that gives the finished piece a cohesive, graphic quality while still allowing for creative fabric placement through the use of assorted prints.

The Happy Harvest Block

Block Overview

The primary design unit in this quilt is called the Happy Harvest Block, which finishes at 9½" x 9½". The full quilt is constructed from a total of 20 Happy Harvest Blocks, arranged to create the overall design shown in the quilt diagram. Because the layout and look may vary with actual fabric, quilters are encouraged to audition their fabric placement before sewing.

Block Construction Technique

Each Happy Harvest Block is made using a classic stitch-and-flip corner triangle technique, sometimes called the snowball corner or folded corner method. This approach is a staple of intermediate quilting and allows quilters to add angled triangle shapes to a larger square without the need for cutting true triangles, which can be tricky to handle due to bias edges.

• Step 1: Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of two brown wood 5¼" squares.
• Step 2: With right sides together, place one marked brown wood square on the top left corner of an assorted print 10" square. Sew directly on the drawn diagonal line.
• Step 3: Leave a ¼" seam allowance beyond the sewn line, trim the excess fabric, and press the resulting triangle open.
• Step 4: Repeat the process with the second brown wood 5¼" square placed on the bottom right corner of the same assorted print 10" square.
• Step 5: Repeat the entire process to create a total of 20 Happy Harvest Blocks.

Key Quilting Techniques Used

• Stitch-and-flip corner triangle method — a precise, beginner-friendly approach to creating angled shapes without bias-cut triangles
• Accurate ¼" seam allowances — all measurements in the pattern include a standard quilting ¼" seam allowance
• Right-sides-together sewing — standard quilting construction throughout
• Pressing seams — proper pressing is used after each trimmed corner to ensure flat, accurate blocks
• Block repetition and layout — 20 identical blocks are assembled into the final quilt top, requiring an understanding of quilt layout and block orientation

Materials and Fabric

This pattern is designed for use with Riley Blake Designs fabric, consistent with the brand's reputation for high-quality quilting cotton. The pattern references assorted print 10" squares — commonly known in the quilting community as layer cake squares — alongside brown wood print fabric cut into 5¼" squares for the corner triangle units. Quilters should check www.rileyblakedesigns.com for any pattern revisions before beginning.

• Assorted print fabric: 10" squares (layer cake format) for block centers
• Brown wood print fabric: cut into 5¼" squares for stitch-and-flip corner triangles
• Tools required: rotary cutter, quilting ruler, cutting mat, sewing machine capable of