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Annual Calendar
The 2026 calendar of quilt-alongs (QALs), mystery quilts, block-of-the-month programs, and finish-along events — free and paid, beginner to advanced.
Quilt-alongs (QALs) are group quilting projects where participants sew the same pattern on the same schedule. 2026 continues a tradition that grew through quilting blogs in the mid-2000s and exploded with Instagram in the 2010s. Today QALs run constantly across designer blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram hashtags, and dedicated platforms like NiftyFifty.
This page tracks 2026QALs hosted on NiftyFifty plus the major community-wide events worth planning around — Bonnie Hunter's annual Quiltville mystery, Pat Sloan's seasonal QALs, the new block-of-the-month programs launching in January, and finish-along events at the year's end. Bookmark this page and check back monthly as new QALs are confirmed.
January is the biggest BOM launch month. Major free BOMs from Fat Quarter Shop, Pat Sloan, Moda Bakeshop, and Connecting Threads all start with their first block in early January. Paid shop BOMs also tend to begin January for the year-long cohort.
The Modern Quilt Guild's annual convention. Held in a different US city each year. Includes workshops, juried quilt show, vendor floor. Often spawns related QALs in the months after.
Most major designers run a spring free QAL — Pat Sloan, Camille Roskelley, Lori Holt, and Amy Smart typically have a 6–8 week QAL releasing in this window. Watch their newsletters in January for announcements.
The fall wave of QALs launches in September — typically shorter (6–8 weeks) so finished tops can be quilted and gifted for the holidays. Six-month BOMs starting in July also wrap up around this time.
The gold standard of mystery QALs. Six weekly clues from late November through early January. Fabric requirements published in October. Free to participate; thousands of quilters around the world stitch along.
Many fall QALs run a December finish-along — quilters who got behind on the main QAL schedule submit their finished quilts in the wrap-up post. Most QALs welcome late finishers warmly.
No QALs scheduled yet for q1 (jan–mar). Check back — new QALs are added throughout the year.
No QALs scheduled yet for q2 (apr–jun). Check back — new QALs are added throughout the year.
No QALs scheduled yet for q3 (jul–sep). Check back — new QALs are added throughout the year.
No QALs scheduled yet for q4 (oct–dec). Check back — new QALs are added throughout the year.
The "best" QAL depends on your skill level, time commitment, and quilting style. For beginners: any of the Pat Sloan or Fat Quarter Shop free QALs are friendly entry points. For experienced quilters wanting a challenge: Bonnie Hunter's annual Quiltville mystery (starts late November). For those wanting community over the full year: a block-of-the-month program. For modern quilters: watch the Modern Quilt Guild affiliated designers' announcements. Browse the active QALs on NiftyFifty above to see what's currently open.
Bonnie Hunter's annual Quiltville mystery quilt traditionally releases its first clue the Friday after Thanksgiving (late November) and runs six weekly clues through early January. The fabric requirements list is published 4–6 weeks before the first clue — typically in October. Watch quiltville.com for the official 2026 announcement and fabric list.
Yes — many. Most designer-run QALs are free to join, with the pattern itself either free or sold separately ($10–25). Free QALs run year-round on designer blogs and Instagram. Pat Sloan, Fat Quarter Shop, Moda Bakeshop, and Connecting Threads all host multiple free QALs each year. Browse the NiftyFifty active QAL list (marked "Free") or follow your favorite designers' newsletters for announcements.
January is the biggest month for QAL launches — block-of-the-month programs almost universally start January 1st, and many designer-run QALs kick off in early January or late February. September and October are the second wave, typically for shorter (6–8 week) QALs finishing before the holidays. Mystery quilts cluster in November–December.
Range from four weeks to twelve months. Most QALs run 6–12 weeks with weekly installments. Block-of-the-month QALs run a full 12 months with monthly installments. Mystery quilts run 4–6 weeks. Short "speed" QALs (charm pack or jelly roll based) can finish in 2–4 weeks.
Have a pattern you'd love to lead a community through? NiftyFifty makes it easy to organize a QAL with quilters from all 50 states.
Host a QAL