Riley Blake Tea Party - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Tea Party Quilt Pattern – Free Downloadable PDF by Jina Barney

The Riley Blake Tea Party pattern is a free downloadable PDF designed by Jina Barney and published by Riley Blake Designs. It produces a stunning 49" x 49" finished quilt built from 16" x 16" finished blocks. Rated as an advanced quilting project, this pattern is ideal for experienced quilters who are comfortable with precise piecing, multiple block constructions, and careful fabric coordination. The design draws its name and aesthetic from a charming tea party theme, reflected in the delicate florals, dots, and bird prints that make up its fabric palette.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a square lap or throw quilt measuring 49 inches by 49 inches. The finished quilt is composed of multiple distinct pieced blocks, including Star Blocks, a Center Unit, Corner Four-Patch blocks, and Flying Geese Units. Together, these elements combine into a cohesive, intricately assembled quilt top that showcases the Riley Blake tea party fabric collection to its fullest effect.

Fabric Requirements and Materials

The pattern calls for a carefully curated selection of Riley Blake Designs fabrics, all from the coordinating tea party collection. The specific fabrics and yardages required are as follows:

• ¼ yard (20 cm) – Aqua Little Folk (C3471 Aqua)
• 1 yard (90 cm) – Green Tea Party (C3472 Green)
• ½ yard (50 cm) – Aqua Birds (C3473 Aqua)
• ¼ yard (20 cm) – Green Birds (C3473 Green)
• 3/8 yard (30 cm) – Navy Floral (C3474 Navy)
• 1/8 yard (10 cm) – Pink Floral (C3474 Pink)
• 1 yard (90 cm) – White Floral (C3474 White)
• 3/8 yard (30 cm) – Gray Dots (C3475 Gray)
• ¼ yard (20 cm) – Green Dots (C3475 Green)
• 5/8 yard (60 cm) – Binding fabric
• 3¼ yards (3 m) – Backing fabric

The white floral (C3474 White) plays a particularly prominent role throughout the pattern, appearing in multiple block types as a unifying background and contrast fabric. The assorted print fabrics — including the aqua, green, pink, navy, and gray selections — provide the color variety and visual interest that give the quilt its lively, whimsical character.

Techniques Used

This is an advanced-level quilting pattern that requires a solid foundation in standard quilting methods. The pattern itself notes that a basic knowledge of quilting technique and terminology is required before beginning. Key techniques employed throughout the construction include:

• Four-Patch block construction – Multiple Four-Patch units are assembled throughout the quilt, including the Center Four-Patch and a variety of Corner Four-Patches made from combinations of blue floral, green dots, pink floral, and white floral 2½" squares.
• Flying Geese construction – The pattern uses the draw-a-diagonal-line method to create Flying Geese units. A line is drawn from corner to corner on the wrong side of an assorted print 4½" square, which is then placed on a white floral 4½" x 8½" rectangle and sewn on the drawn line. After trimming with a ¼" seam allowance and pressing, the process is repeated on the opposite side of the rectangle to complete a single Flying Geese unit. Four Flying Geese units are made in this manner.
• Unit assembly and