Let the Quilt Shine!
This week is all about assembling your quilt top—and guess what? The hard part is done! With all the blocks made and the wings in place, it’s time to bring everything together and see your quilt take shape.
The good news? This week is pretty simple. The blocks have plenty of breathing room in the layout, so we’ll be sewing the blocks into rows, and then adding sashing between the rows, and finally adding the borders. That’s it!
But if you’re anything like me, your mind might be drifting to adjusting the quilt size and how to make the quilt bigger—because the possibilities are truly endless.
Want to make your quilt Larger? Here are ideas on adjusting the quilt size.
This is the perfect time to size up your quilt if you’d like. Here are a few fun and easy ways to do that:
1. Add Sashing Between the Birds
You can insert vertical sashing strips between each block (in addition to the horizontal ones already in the pattern). Try experimenting with different strip widths to open up the layout.
Starting point – Throw quilt size 59″ x 67″
| Adding Sashing Strip Between Birds and Increasing Row Sashing | Approximate Quilt Width Increase | Adjusted Height | Adjusted Width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1″ | +3″ | 62 | 70 |
| 2″ | +6″ | 65 | 73 |
| 3″ | +9″ | 68 | 76 |
| 4″ | +12″ | 71 | 79 |
✂️ Pro Tip: If you’re adding 2” sashing between all blocks and rows, and also increasing your outer border by 2”, you could easily add around 10 inches total to your quilt’s finished size!
2. Double Up the Borders
Want a chunkier frame? Double the border. Want it to add a little extra flair? Add a 2″ strip between the double border.
- The double border can add 11“ to the finished size.
- The strip between the double border can add 14 1/2″ to the finished size of the quilt.
3. Add an Extra Row of Birds
Another option — add an extra row of birds!
This Week’s Goal
- Sew your blocks into rows
- Add horizontal sashing between the rows
- (Optional) Play with the layout and think about adjusting the quilt size
And remember—you can make this quilt totally your own. Whether you follow the pattern exactly or stretch it into something uniquely yours, the end result will be beautiful.
Let me know in the comments or on Instagram how you’re finishing your top—I’d love to see all the different directions your quilts take!
Want to join the Drift Quilt Along?
It’s not too late to join the quilt along. You can head over to last week’s blog post about picking out your fabrics to get caught up.
JULY
1st – Fabric Pull
8th – Cutting Fabric
15th – Making blocks with F 1 and F2
July 19th Zoom Sew Day
22nd – Making blocks with F3 and F4
29th – Putting the top together
August
5th – Quilting the Quilt
🎉 Instagram Giveaway 🎉
I’ll be choosing winners on Instagram, so make sure your account is set to public for the duration of the Quilt Along. If your account is private, I won’t be able to see your photos—and if I can’t see them, I can’t enter you into the drawings for prizes. Once the Quilt Along wraps up, feel free to make your account private again. If you need help updating your settings, just let me know—I’d be happy to walk you through it!
Week Five Prize: A Layer Cake and book on quilting
How to know if you won.
Use the hashtag #DriftQAL when posting your progress photos. With each new step in the Quilt Along, I’ll select a winner. Here’s how it works: I gather the names of everyone who shared a photo using the hashtag that week, put them all in a bowl, and draw one out. That’s our weekly winner!
Each Wednesday, I will be going LIVE on Instagram and YouTube at 4:30 pm PST to pick the winner.
I will update this blog post with the winner the day after the LIVE.
Grand Prize Details
For the grand prize, a mini Oliso Iron, I’ll be looking at overall participation. I’ll tally points based on:
- The number of progress photos you post using #DriftQAL
- How often you comment and cheer on others in the community
The person with the highest total will win the grand prize—so get involved, stay active, and have fun supporting each other!
