Riley Blake Spooky Stories Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Spooky Stories Quilt Pattern by J. Wecker Frisch for Riley Blake Designs

The Spooky Stories Quilt is a charming, Halloween-themed quilted throw designed by J. Wecker Frisch and published by Riley Blake Designs. Available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern produces a finished quilt measuring 45½" x 65", making it an ideal lap quilt or decorative seasonal throw. The design celebrates spooky storytelling through the use of illustrated novelty panels and coordinating fabric, resulting in a quilt that is as visually striking as it is fun to sew.

What Is Being Made

This pattern instructs quilters in constructing a panel-centered quilt built around the Goose Tales fabric collection by Riley Blake Designs. The focal point of the quilt is a large fussy-cut center panel surrounded by two successive borders, with additional fussy-cut novelty squares incorporated as corner accents. The result is a structured, framed quilt layout that highlights the illustrated storytelling artwork printed directly on the fabric panels.

Design Layout and Construction Overview

The quilt is assembled using a classic medallion-style construction, where a central panel is progressively framed by borders. This approach is beginner-friendly in concept while still requiring attention to accurate cutting and pressing. The pattern notes that a basic knowledge of quilting technique and terminology is required, making it suitable for confident beginners and intermediate quilters alike.

• Center Panel: A single fussy-cut rectangle measuring 23½" x 43", centered carefully over the Goose Tales Main Panel (P9390 Panel) to showcase the printed illustration at its best.
• Border 1: A narrow inner border cut from Black Text fabric (C9400 Black), with side borders measuring 43" and top and bottom borders measuring 27½". This border is sewn to the sides first, then the top and bottom, following standard quilting convention.
• Border 2: A wide outer border cut from Orange Tall Tales Allover Motifs (C9395 Orange), with side borders measuring 47". The top and bottom border centers measure 27½" each, with a 9½" fussy-cut square from the Goose Tales Book Panel (P9391 Panel) sewn to each end to bring the total width to 45½".

Techniques Used

• Fussy cutting: A key technique in this pattern, fussy cutting involves carefully centering specific motifs or illustrations within a measured cut. The center panel is fussy cut at 23½" x 43", and four 9½" x 9½" squares are fussy cut from book pages 1, 4, 8, and 10 of the Goose Tales Book Panel (P9391). Fussy cutting requires extra yardage and careful planning but dramatically enhances the visual impact of novelty prints.
• Medallion-style quilt assembly: The quilt is built outward from a central focal panel, with each successive border framing and expanding the design.
• Border construction and attachment: Side borders are attached before top and bottom borders throughout, a standard quilting practice that helps maintain squareness. Seam allowances are pressed toward the borders after each addition.
• Measuring through the quilt center: The pattern specifically instructs quilters to measure through the center of the quilt before cutting border pieces, an essential technique for preventing wavy or distorted borders.
• Quilt sandwich layering and binding: The finished quilt top is layered with batting and backing, then bound using six strips of 2¼" x WOF binding cut from a coordinating Goose Tales print.

Stitches and Sewing Details

• All seams are sewn with a standard ¼" seam allowance, the quilting industry standard.
• Pieces are sewn with right sides together throughout, except where otherwise noted.
• Seam allowances are pressed toward the borders after each border is attached, reducing bulk and creating crisp, flat seams.