Riley Blake Square Dance - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Square Dance Quilt Pattern by Shawn Wallace – Free Downloadable PDF

About This Quilt Pattern

Square Dance is a finished quilt pattern designed by Shawn Wallace and released by Riley Blake Designs, featuring the Harmony Farm fabric collection. The completed quilt measures 40½" x 48", making it an ideal lap or throw size. This is a free downloadable PDF pattern, though it is rated advanced difficulty, meaning quilters should bring a solid foundation of quilting knowledge and terminology before beginning.

What Is Being Made

The project is a pieced quilt built around a repeating block design. Each finished block measures 7½" x 7½", and multiple blocks are assembled together with a border treatment to create the full quilt top. The name Square Dance reflects the geometric, square-based construction at the heart of the design, with careful color placement creating a lively, rhythmic visual movement across the quilt surface.

Fabric and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically around the Harmony Farm by Shawn Wallace fabric collection from Riley Blake Designs. The fabric requirements call for a thoughtfully curated palette of coordinating prints and solids, including:

• White main – fabric code C6690 White, requiring ¼ yard (25 cm)
• Green main – fabric code C6690 Green, requiring 2/3 yard (65 cm)
• Green Hog Wash – cut into 5 squares at 5" x 5"
• Blue Plaid – cut into 4 strips 1½" x WOF for Border 1
• Blue Hay – cut into 14 squares at 2½" x 2½" and 27 squares at 2" x 2"
• Red Hay – cut into 14 squares at 2½" x 2½" and 27 squares at 2" x 2"

All fabric measurements include a ¼" seam allowance, which is standard in quilting construction. Quilters will also need coordinating cotton thread, quilting needles, and standard quilting tools such as a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and quilting ruler for accurate cutting. A sewing machine is recommended for piecing, and a walking foot or quilting foot is helpful for finishing.

Techniques Used

Square Dance employs several classic quilting techniques that are characteristic of advanced-level patchwork construction:

• Precision rotary cutting – strips and squares are cut to exact measurements from width-of-fabric (WOF) strips, requiring accuracy for blocks to align correctly
• Strip piecing – cutting strips across the full width of fabric before sub-cutting into individual units is a time-efficient method used throughout the pattern
• Square-in-a-square and small-unit piecing – the variety of square sizes (5", 2½", and 2") suggests intricate small-unit assembly within each block
• Bordered quilt construction – Border 1 is created using Blue Plaid strips cut at 1½" x WOF, framing the quilt center with a clean, structured edge
• Right-sides-together sewing – all seams are sewn with right sides together as standard quilting practice, ensuring clean, hidden seam allowances
• Block assembly and quilt top layout – individual 7½" finished blocks are arranged and joined to build the overall quilt top design

Stitches and Sewing Details

As with most quilting patterns, Square Dance relies on a consistent straight stitch sewn at a precise ¼" seam allowance throughout all piecing stages. Maintaining this seam allowance is critical at the advanced level, as even small deviations can affect how blocks and borders align across the full quilt. Quilters are encouraged to check the Riley Blake Designs website at www.rileyblakedesigns.com for any pattern revisions before beginning their project.

Skill Level