Riley Blake Bear Hug - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Bear Hug Quilt Pattern by Jill Howarth – Free Downloadable PDF

The Bear Hug quilt pattern, designed by Jill Howarth for Riley Blake Designs, is a charming and whimsical quilted throw featuring adorable bear block motifs set against a cheerful patchwork background. This free downloadable PDF pattern produces a finished quilt measuring 54" x 63", making it an ideal size for a lap quilt, a child's bedroom throw, or a cozy decorative blanket. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, meaning it is best suited for quilters who already have a foundational understanding of quilting techniques and terminology, including foundation piecing.

What Is Being Made

The Bear Hug pattern creates a full-sized patchwork quilt with a finished dimension of 54 inches by 63 inches. The quilt is built around a repeating block structure, with each finished block measuring 8" x 8". The design incorporates pieced bear figures — complete with carefully labeled and cut fabric sections — set within a grid of colorful patchwork squares and rectangles. The result is a playful, storybook-style quilt that would make a wonderful gift for a child or a delightful accent piece in a nursery or cottage-style room.

Techniques Used

• Foundation piecing – The pattern explicitly requires a working knowledge of foundation piecing, a precise quilting method where fabric pieces are sewn onto a paper or fabric foundation in a specific sequence to achieve accurate, complex shapes such as the bear figures.
• Patchwork piecing – Traditional patchwork construction is used throughout, assembling squares and rectangles cut to specific dimensions into cohesive blocks and rows.
• Accurate cutting – Precise rotary cutting of strips, squares, and rectangles from width-of-fabric (WOF) strips is essential to the construction of this quilt.
• Seam allowance discipline – All measurements include a ¼" seam allowance, and all pieces are sewn with right sides together unless otherwise noted, which is standard quilting practice.
• Block assembly – Individual components are labeled (for example, pieces B, D1, and D2) to guide the quilter through the sequential construction of the bear motif blocks.

Stitches and Sewing Methods

• Straight stitch – The primary stitch used throughout, sewn at a consistent ¼" seam allowance on a sewing machine, which is the standard for quilt piecing.
• Right-sides-together joining – All seams are sewn with fabric pieces placed face-to-face, then pressed open or to one side to reduce bulk and create clean, flat seams.
• Strip piecing – Fabric is first cut into strips across the width of fabric (WOF) and then sub-cut into squares and rectangles, an efficient technique that reduces cutting time and improves accuracy.

Block Details and Cutting Breakdown

The quilt is constructed from several distinct fabric components, each cut with precision to build the overall design. Key cutting instructions from the pattern include:

• Teal Cottage fabric – Cut 8 strips 2½" x WOF, then sub-cut into 116 squares measuring 2½" x 2½", forming the background patchwork of the quilt.
• Brown Bears fabric – Cut 3 strips 2½" x WOF and sub-cut into 22 rectangles measuring 2½" x 4½"; cut 2 strips 3" x WOF and sub-cut into 20 squares measuring 3" x 3"; cut 1 rectangle labeled B measuring 1½" x 1¾"; cut 1 rectangle labeled D2 measuring 4" x 7½".
• Brown Mushroom fabric – Cut 1 piece labeled D1 measuring 3" x 5", used as a specific component in the bear block construction.

The careful labeling of pieces — such as B,