Riley Blake Bluebell - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Bluebell Quilt Pattern – Free Downloadable PDF

The Riley Blake Bluebell is a stunning 76" x 76" square quilt pattern available as a free downloadable PDF from Riley Blake Designs. This intermediate-level quilting project combines classic patchwork construction with elegant Dresden Plate appliqué, resulting in a sophisticated, medallion-style quilt that showcases a carefully coordinated fabric palette of navy, gray, mint, and pink.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a 76-inch by 76-inch quilt featuring a prominent Full Circle Dresden Plate block as its centerpiece, surrounded by structured patchwork borders. The design draws on a classic American quilting tradition, updated with a fresh, modern color palette. The quilt center is built around carefully placed fabric pieces and blocks, with multiple border rounds framing the central medallion composition. The result is a balanced, symmetrical quilt suitable for use as a bed topper, lap quilt, or decorative wall hanging.

Fabric Requirements and Materials

This pattern is designed around the Lulabelle Fat Quarter Stack (FQ-5060-15) by Riley Blake Designs, making fabric selection straightforward for quilters who prefer coordinated collections. The specific fabrics called for include:

• 1¾ yards of navy main (C5060 Navy)
• 3⅝ yards of gray bowtie (C5062 Gray)
• ¾ yard of mint bowtie (C5062 Mint)
• ¼ yard of pink petal (C5063 Pink)
• ¾ yard for binding
• 7 yards (6.45 m) for backing

The Dresden Plate blades are cut from an assortment of prints pulled from the Fat Quarter Stack, including mint main, navy main, cream medallion, mint medallion, navy medallion, mint bowtie, navy bowtie, pink petal, navy scallops, and pink scallops. This variety of prints gives the Dresden Plate its characteristic scrappy, kaleidoscopic appearance while remaining cohesive within the Riley Blake Lulabelle collection.

As a quilting pattern, this project is constructed with quilting cotton fabric and requires standard quilting tools including a rotary cutter, cutting mat, quilting ruler, and a sewing machine. Hand or machine appliqué tools will also be needed for the Dresden Plate and circle elements.

Techniques Used

The Bluebell pattern incorporates several core and intermediate quilting techniques:

• Patchwork construction – Strips and blocks are cut and sewn together using precise seam allowances to build the quilt center and borders.
• Dresden Plate block construction – A traditional and beloved quilting technique in which individual wedge-shaped blades are folded, stitched, trimmed, and pressed to create neat pointed tips, then joined in a circular arrangement to form a decorative plate motif.
• Appliqué – A full circle, eight half circles, and four quarter circles are cut using provided templates and applied to the quilt top. The pattern notes that quilters should add a ¼" seam allowance if required by their preferred appliqué method, accommodating both hand appliqué and machine appliqué approaches.
• Medallion-style quilt assembly – The quilt is built outward from a central focal block, with borders added in sequence around the center.
• Border construction – The pattern includes multiple border rounds, including a Border 3 cut from 7 strips of 2½" x WOF (width of fabric) and border pieces cut at 6½" x WOF from the navy main fabric. Quilters are advised to measure through the center of the quilt before cutting border strips to ensure accurate fit.
• Pressing and point turning – The Dresden blade construction requires careful trimming of the seam at the folded point, turning the tip right side out, and pressing for crisp, professional results.

Stitches and Sewing Details