Riley Blake Blast Off - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Blast Off Quilt Pattern – Free Downloadable PDF

The Riley Blake Blast Off quilt pattern is a free downloadable PDF from Riley Blake Designs that produces a striking finished quilt measuring 54" x 63". Rated as an intermediate quilting project, this design is ideal for quilters who are comfortable with foundational piecing techniques and ready to work with a classic yet dynamic block construction. The pattern is built entirely around a single repeating block format, making it an excellent project for building consistency and speed in your quilting practice.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a lap or throw-sized quilt measuring 54 inches wide by 63 inches tall. The quilt is composed of 20 Blast Off Blocks, each finishing at 9" x 9". The overall design has a bold, retro-inspired, space-age aesthetic that reflects the playful spirit of the Riley Blake Rocket Age fabric collection. The name and visual theme evoke a sense of motion and energy, making it a wonderful choice for a child's bedroom quilt or a fun statement piece for any space-loving quilter.

Block Construction and Design

The central unit of this quilt is the Blast Off Block, a 9-inch finished block assembled from a combination of pieced and solid-cut squares. Each block is constructed from the following components:

• 4 Half Square Triangles (HSTs) – the primary pieced units that give the block its dynamic, directional character
• 4 aqua blast 3½" squares – solid-cut squares in the aqua blast colorway that frame the center and corners
• 1 assorted print 3½" square – a center square cut from the assorted print fabrics, adding variety and visual interest across the quilt

These nine units are sewn together in a 3x3 grid arrangement to complete each Blast Off Block. The pattern notes that two of the 20 blocks use a different combination of fabrics, adding subtle variation to the overall layout. Quilters are directed to refer to the quilt photo for accurate fabric placement, as the block diagrams are virtual representations and the actual appearance may vary with real fabric.

Techniques Used

This is an intermediate-level quilting project that requires a basic working knowledge of quilting technique and terminology. The primary techniques involved include:

• Half Square Triangle (HST) construction – one of the most versatile and widely used techniques in quilting, HSTs are created by sewing two contrasting fabric squares together diagonally and pressing open to reveal two mirror-image triangle units. Accuracy in cutting and pressing is essential for crisp, well-aligned blocks.
• Rotary cutting and precise measuring – all measurements include a standard ¼" seam allowance, and consistent cutting is critical to ensuring blocks come together cleanly at 9" finished size
• Block assembly and layout – sewing the nine sub-units of each block together in the correct orientation, then arranging all 20 blocks into the final quilt top layout
• Quilt top assembly – joining completed blocks into rows and sewing rows together to form the full quilt top
• Binding – finishing the quilt edges with a separate binding strip, a standard final step in quilt construction

All seams are sewn with right sides together unless otherwise stated in the pattern instructions, which is standard quilting practice.

Stitches Used

• Straight stitch – used throughout for all piecing, including HST construction and block assembly, sewn at a consistent ¼" seam allowance
• Diagonal straight stitch – used when constructing the Half Square Triangle units, typically sewn corner to corner across a layered pair of squares before trimming and pressing open

Materials – Fabric and Notions

This pattern is designed specifically around the Riley Blake Rocket Age fabric collection. The required materials are as follows:

• 1 Rocket Age 10-inch Stacker (RP-3800-20) – a pre-cut bundle of 10-inch squares from the Rocket Age collection