Riley Blake Sunburst - Downloadable PDF

Riley Blake Sunburst Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern by Jina Barney

The Riley Blake Sunburst is a free downloadable PDF quilt pattern designed by Jina Barney and published by Riley Blake Designs. This cheerful, graphic quilt finishes at a generous 52" x 62", making it a versatile throw or lap quilt suitable for a wide range of settings. The design is built around a striking sunburst effect created by pairing curved or angled template pieces in contrasting prints and solids, producing a dynamic, radiating visual rhythm across the quilt surface.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a pieced throw quilt measuring 52 inches wide by 62 inches tall. The quilt center is assembled from two block types — referred to in the pattern as Sunburst A Blocks and Sunburst B Blocks — each with a finished block size of 2½" x 10". A total of 40 Sunburst A Blocks and 40 Sunburst B Blocks are constructed, then arranged in 4 columns of 20 blocks each to build the quilt center. The alternating placement of A and B blocks, combined with the interplay of assorted prints and a light gray solid background, creates the signature sunburst or starburst appearance that gives this quilt its name.

Techniques Used

• Template piecing: The pattern relies on two custom templates — Template A and Template B — which are cut from both the assorted print fabrics and the light gray solid. Accurate template cutting is essential to achieving the sunburst design.
• Right-sides-together sewing: All block assembly is done with right sides together using a standard ¼" seam allowance throughout.
• Column assembly: Blocks are sewn into vertical columns of 20 blocks before the columns are joined to complete the quilt center — a method that helps manage the many small pieces efficiently.
• Stacking and sorting: The instructions direct quilters to make organized stacks of specific print rectangles by colorway before cutting Template A and Template B shapes, which streamlines the cutting process and helps maintain the intended color distribution across the quilt.
• Binding: A separate binding fabric is included in the requirements, indicating a traditional applied binding finish around the quilt edges.

Stitches and Sewing Basics

As a quilting pattern, Sunburst is constructed entirely with straight-line machine stitching. The consistent ¼" seam allowance is used for all piecing. Because the blocks involve angled or shaped template pieces rather than simple squares and rectangles, quilters benefit from careful pinning and pressing to keep seams flat and blocks accurate. The pattern notes that a basic knowledge of quilting technique and terminology is required, placing this project at an intermediate beginner to intermediate skill level — accessible to those who have completed simpler patchwork projects and are ready to work with templates.

Fabrics and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically around Riley Blake Designs fabric collections. The required fabrics include a carefully curated mix of prints and solids:

• 1¼ yards – gray main (C3530 Gray)
• ¼ yard each of the following assorted prints:
  • C3531 Blue – blue flowers
  • C3531 Gray – gray flowers
  • C3532 Blue – blue clocks
  • C3533 Green – green sparkle
  • C3534 Blue – blue numbers
  • C3535 Blue – blue dots
  • C3535 Green – green dots
• 1 fat quarter – green herringbone from the gray fat quarter panel (FQP3536 Gray)
• ½ yard – clean white solid (