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Community & Culture

Quilt Along (QAL)

An organized event where many quilters simultaneously make the same quilt or pattern, sharing progress online.

A quilt along (QAL) is a structured event — usually organized by a quilt designer, blog, or fabric company — where participants all work through the same pattern at the same time, following a schedule of releases (one block or section per week or month). Participants share progress photos on social media using a hashtag, ask questions in community forums, and motivate each other to finish. QALs create community around a shared creative experience and are a great way to tackle a challenging pattern with support.

Related Terms

Block SwapAn organized exchange where quilters make and send blocks to each other according to agreed-upon rules.Mystery QuiltA quilt project where instructions are released in stages and participants don't see the finished design until the end.Sampler QuiltA quilt featuring many different blocks, each demonstrating a different pattern or technique.

Practice makes perfect.

NiftyFifty connects quilters from all 50 states through block swaps, bees, and quilt-alongs. Great place to put new techniques to work.

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