Riley Blake Flappers And Friends - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Flappers and Friends Quilt Pattern by Kelly Panacci – Free Downloadable PDF

The Flappers and Friends pattern by Kelly Panacci for Riley Blake Designs is a charming, beginner-friendly quilt project that finishes at a generous 40½" x 47". Available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern is an excellent introduction to structured row quilting, combining playful prints with a clean, organized layout that is easy to follow even for those newer to the craft.

About the Quilt Design

The quilt is built around a concept called Happy Flapper Rows, a repeating horizontal row structure that gives the finished quilt its lively, rhythmic appearance. Each row is assembled from a combination of 5" squares and 2½" x 5" rectangles cut from assorted prints, creating a scrappy, patchwork feel that celebrates the variety of fabrics in the Riley Blake collection. Six Happy Flapper Rows are sewn together and separated by cream shade sashing rectangles measuring 2½" x 31", which provide visual breathing room between the colorful rows and unify the quilt center.

The design is further framed by two borders. The first border, worked in blue petal fabric, adds a crisp pop of color around the quilt center, with side borders cut to approximately 37½" and top and bottom borders to approximately 35". The second and outermost border is cut from cream shade fabric in 3½"-wide strips, softening the overall look and bringing the finished quilt to its final dimensions. Border strips are joined end to end as needed to achieve the required lengths, a standard quilting technique that makes efficient use of yardage.

Techniques Used

• Row quilting: The quilt is constructed in horizontal rows, making it straightforward to piece and assemble in manageable sections.
• Sashing: Cream shade sashing strips are inserted between each Happy Flapper Row to frame and separate the blocks, a classic quilting technique that adds structure and elegance.
• Borders: Two rounds of borders are applied in sequence — side borders first, then top and bottom — following standard quilting best practice of measuring through the quilt center before cutting to ensure accurate sizing.
• Half-cutting 5" squares: The assorted print 5" squares from the stackers are cut in half to yield 2½" x 5" rectangles, a simple sub-cutting technique that maximizes the variety of prints within each row.
• Strip piecing and joining: Border and sashing strips are cut across the width of fabric (WOF) and joined end to end where additional length is required.

Stitches and Piecing

• ¼" seam allowance is used throughout the entire quilt, which is the standard seam allowance in quilting and essential for accurate block and row sizing.
• All piecing is done with right sides together, the foundational technique in quilt construction that keeps seam allowances hidden on the interior of the quilt.
• Straight-stitch machine sewing is the primary method used to join squares, rectangles, sashing strips, and borders.

Materials and Fabric Requirements

This pattern is designed to work beautifully with the Riley Blake Designs fabric collection referenced throughout, featuring prints described as blue twirls, green twirls, red twirls, blue petal, green petal, and pink petal. The specific fabric requirements are as follows:

• Happy Flappers 5-inch Stackers (5-4020-21): A pre-cut bundle of 5" squares in assorted prints, providing the variety needed for the Happy Flapper Rows.
• Blue Petal (C4026 Blue): ½ yard (50 cm) used for the first border.
• Cream Shade (C200-02 Cream): ¾ yard (70 cm) used for sashing and the second border.
• Binding: 5/8 yard (60 cm) of fabric to finish the quilt edges.
• Backing: 2¾ yards (2.55