Riley Blake Elk Panel Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Elk Panel Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern Summary

About This Quilt Project

The Riley Blake Elk Panel Quilt is a beginner-friendly quilting project that showcases the striking Elk Panel (P9950 Elk) as its dramatic centerpiece. The finished quilt measures a generous 58" x 65", making it an ideal lap quilt or throw. This is a free downloadable PDF pattern from Riley Blake Designs, perfect for quilters who want a straightforward, panel-focused project with beautiful results. The pattern requires a basic knowledge of quilting technique and terminology, making it accessible to confident beginners and enjoyable for experienced quilters looking for a relaxing make.

What Is Being Made

This project produces a single, cohesive quilt built around a large printed elk panel fabric. The design is structured and graphic, letting the panel do the visual heavy lifting while three successive border rounds frame it in coordinating Riley Blake fabrics. The layered border treatment gives the finished quilt a classic, polished appearance reminiscent of traditional medallion-style quilts.

Design and Construction Overview

The quilt is assembled using a panel-and-borders construction method, one of the most approachable formats in quilting. A single large rectangle of the elk panel fabric forms the quilt center, and three successive borders are added outward, each in a different coordinating fabric and width. This medallion-inspired approach means there is no complex block piecing — the focus is on accurate cutting, precise border measurement, and clean straight-line sewing.

• Quilt Center: The Elk Panel (P9950 Elk) is cut to a single rectangle measuring 36" x 43", preserving the full printed design.
• Border 1: Cut from Phantom Shades (C200-18 Phantom) — 4 strips at 3½" x WOF (width of fabric). Side borders finish at 43"; top and bottom borders at 42".
• Border 2: Cut from Black Pine Branches (C8697 Black) — 5 strips at 3½" x WOF. Side borders finish at 49"; top and bottom borders at 48".
• Border 3: Cut from Brown Pinecone (C5574 Brown) — 6 strips at 5½" x WOF. Side borders finish at 55"; top and bottom borders at 58". This widest border anchors the design and brings the quilt to its full finished size.

Techniques Used

This pattern introduces and reinforces several core quilting techniques that are essential skills for any quilter's repertoire:

• Panel centering and cutting — accurately cutting a large printed panel to a specific rectangle size while preserving the design.
• Straight-line piecing — all seams are straight, sewn with right sides together throughout.
• Mitered or butted border application — borders are added in sequence, with side borders sewn first, followed by top and bottom borders, a standard butted-border technique.
• Measuring through the quilt center — the pattern specifically instructs quilters to measure through the center of the quilt before cutting each border, a best practice that prevents wavy or distorted borders.
• Strip joining — border strips are sewn end to end (strip-pieced) as needed to achieve the required lengths.
• Quilt sandwich assembly — finishing involves layering the quilt top, batting, and backing before quilting.
• Binding — the quilt is finished with a separate binding strip, and the pattern encourages using a favorite Riley Blake fabric for a personalized touch.

Stitches and Sewing Details

All piecing is done with a standard ¼" seam allowance, the universal seam allowance used in quilting. Seams are sewn on a sewing machine using a straight stitch. Accurate ¼" seams are particularly important in this pattern because the border measurements are calculated to match precisely — even small variations can affect how borders lie flat. The pattern notes that seam allowances vary between sections, reinforcing the importance of measuring the actual quilt before cutting each successive border.

Materials Required