More Birds!!
Last week in the Drift QAL, we faced the curve—and won! 🎉 Whether you pinned every inch, used glue, or boldly went pin-free, I hope you found a method that works for you. Curves can feel intimidating, but once you’ve pieced a few, they start to feel surprisingly intuitive.
And now… we keep going!
We’re still focused on the bird blocks this week, this time with Fabric 3 and Fabric 4. Think of this as part two of the curve adventure—more practice, more progress, and more beautiful birds ready to take flight.
🐦 Let’s Talk Bird Blocks
This week is all about repeating what we did with F1 and F2—but this time using your next two fabrics. You’ll be:
- Piecing more curves for the bird wings.
- And yes, don’t forget to trim your wing down to size!
Trimming ensures the seam allowance stays nice and tidy, so that gentle curve doesn’t peek out in your final quilt top. It’s a small step that makes a big difference! - Adding the tail to the wing.
- Making the bird center
- Assembling the full bird block
📹 Need a Refresher?
In the pattern extras, I’ve included a close-up video showing exactly how I sew curves using the fold-and-pin method. If you need a confidence boost or want to see it in action again, it’s right there waiting for you.
💡 Practice makes better!
The more curves you sew, the more natural they’ll feel—and this project gives you plenty of opportunities to master the technique.
Above is my favorite method—the one I think is the easiest and most beginner-friendly for piecing a curve:
Fold. Pin. Sew.
Trim that wing!!
Don’t forget to trim your wings just slightly!
I’m a bit of a worrywart, so I have us trim a little off the top and bottom of the wing. This helps ensure that the curved seam doesn’t end up showing in the finished quilt top.
✂️ This Week’s Drift QAL Checklist:
- Sew your bird blocks using F3 and F4
- Post your progress on Instagram using #DriftQAL
- Watch the Wednesday LIVE at 4:30 pm PST
Want to join the Drift QAL?
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. Quilt Along Schedule:
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 Four Prize: A Gingham Glow Quilt Project kit with panels and large pillow insert
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!
If you have any questions leave them in the comments below!! Have a wonderful week.
