Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most commonly asked #FinishItQAL 2024 questions.

WHAT, WHEN, & WHY:

WHAT IS THE FINISH IT QUILT ALONG?

In 2023 I made a snap decision at the start of February to pull together a Quilt Along dealing solely with WIPs and UFOs (that’s, Works In Progress and UnFinished Objects). More than 300 (!!) people joined in and completed more than 150 projects in four weeks. It was incredible! Let’s sew and quilt together again in 2024 for the 2nd Annual Finish It QAL!

WHEN IS THE QAL?

The QAL runs for the entire month of February. That’s Thursday, February 1 through Thursday, February 29, 2024.

WHY ARE YOU HOSTING A QUILT ALONG THAT ISN’T FOR ONE PATTERN?

In February 2023, I was excited to get back to my sewing machine (after the winter/holiday lull), but was feeling especially overwhelmed by my pile of unfinished projects. I thought that perhaps a qal-style community event would help keep me accountable while working towards one (or more) project finishes, and I was right; I completed five projects (four quilts and an orphan block-turned-zip pouch) that February, and it felt great! This event is all about community — a great way for us to sew “together” on anything that we want or need to finish with none of the pressure to finish a single thing.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

HOW DO I JOIN THE QAL?

It’s FREE and easy! Just sign up for the QAL newsletter before February 21, 2024. (This is separate from the general VBQ Newsletter, so even if you already get emails from me, be sure to sign up if you want to join in!).

Once you’ve signed up, you can expect to receive about one email per week during the Finish It Quilt Along. The emails will provide tips on how to tackle your unfinished projects, share project photos from the QAL community, and offer guilt-free encouragement to keep sewing! Offer support to fellow quilters with likes, saves, shares, and comments, and follow #FinishItQAL on Instagram so you never miss a community post. (Instagram is NOT required to participate; more on that below).

How much DOES IT cost? DO I HAVE TO BUY ANYTHING?

It’s totally FREE! You’re not expected to make any purchases to participate in the Finish It QAL. Purchasing supplies for your projects is entirely optional and completely up to you.

HOW MANY PROJECTS DO I HAVE TO FINISH?

Zero. Truly! This quilt along is all about gaining momentum on incomplete projects, not necessarily finishing as many as you can. You can still be entered to earn prizes even if you don’t “finish” a single WIP during the month.

CAN I START A NEW PROJECT?

Honor system, please: no new projects. If you had a stack of fabric for a pattern set aside, that’s okay and could count as a WIP, but the real goal here is to get those UFOs complete! The quilt that has been cut and partially sewn; a quilt waiting for binding; a project bag that got stuck at the zipper step — these are the types of projects to focus on for the QAL. You’ll probably be amazed at how little time it will actually take you to get some of those next steps completed! :)

HOW OLD DOES A WIP HAVE TO BE?

As long as it was started before you committed to participating in the QAL, it’s a WIP!

CAN I WORK ON A WIP THAT ISN’T A QUILT?

Sure! Any quilting or sewing project (by hand or machine) counts! Quilts of any size, of course, but also totes, pouches, bags, or clothes count, too. Cross-stitch, embroidery, and yarn crafts (like crochet, knitting, needle-punch, etc.) are not included in this QAL.

WHAT IF I’M ONLY DOING THE QUILTING ON A UFO, BUT SOMEONE ELSE MADE THE QUILT?

If the quilt top was thrifted, gifted, or handed down to you, and you’re quilting and finishing it the same way you would complete any other project that you made from the start, that would count! If it’s a collaborative project with a friend that you’ve been working on together, that also counts. If you are only doing the quilting, but the quilt belongs to someone else, that would not count for the QAL (because that’s similar to the job of a longarmer).

Last year I subscribed to a group where I’m learning and practicing new quilting techniques. Would watching these tutorials count as a WIP?

Watching the tutorial alone would not count, but if you have blocks, quilts, or other tangible quilt-adjacent products that you can share as a result of what you’ve learned in the course(s), then that can count as a WIP.

INSTAGRAM

HOW DO I POST OR USE THE HASHTAG?

If your new to Instagram or using hashtags, check out the Instagram Help: how to post. To use the hashtag, simply include it in your caption! Be sure you’re using the correct hasghtag #FinishItQAL. This is the only hashtag I will be following and reviewing to count entries.

WHAT IF MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT IS PRIVATE?

If your account is private, any posts or reels that you share using the #FinishItQAL hashtag will not be shared publicly, and so I will not be able to see them, even if you have tagged me (Instagram Help: who can see a post when you tag someone). Please be sure to either send me a DM with your photos and videos, or you can join via email instead.

HOW DO I SUBMIT PROGRESS WITHOUT INSTAGRAM?

The Finish It Quilt Along is being hosted by me, Village Bound Quilts, utilizing Instagram as a community platform for encouragement and support, in addition to counting giveaway entries. Other social media platforms (TikTok, Facebook, etc.) will not be used or tracked for giveaway entries. If you do not use Instagram, you can still earn prize entries by replying to the weekly emails with your progress report. Additional instructions were provided in the first weekly email (February 1) and can be found below:

If you do not have Instagram or you do not wish to participate using the platform, you can still submit your monthly progress to earn entries for prizes. At the end of each week, simply hit “reply” to the correct weekly email with a summary of your progress from the week. So on February 7 or 8, you’ll reply to the Week 1 email with a list of progress and/or completed project(s) that you worked on from February 1-7 and any photos that you wish to share. For example, “I basted my Sawtooth quilt top on Thursday, quilted it on Saturday and Sunday, and started binding on Tuesday.” That would count for 4 entries. Please note: due to the volume of emails I am working through, only one email per participant per week will be counted, but it can include multiple entries.

DO I HAVE TO EMAIL MY LIST IF I’M SHARING ON INSTAGRAM?

Nope! Instagram is the preferred and primary way to share your WIP progress for the QAL this year.

i don’t want to post every picture to Instagram; CAN I POST SOME AND EMAIL THE REST?

To avoid duplicate entries, please choose only one method or the other to participate in the Finish It Quilt Along.

GIVEAWAYS

ARE THERE GIVEAWAYS FOR THE QAL?

Yes! I’m currently gathering giveaway prizes from sponsors; so far there are patterns, fabric bundles, quilt books, and longarming discounts! More information on specific sponsors and prize details will be shared with participants as we get closer to February 1st. UPDATE: Be sure to check your QAL emails dated on or after January 29 for details about sponsors and prizes available.

I'm a shop owner - how can I sPONSOR THE QAL?

I'm so happy you’d like to be a sponsor! Fabric, notions, patterns, or longarming are all great options. Sponsor submissions are now closed for the Finish It Quilt Along (February 2024), but feel free to contact me if you would like to support another VBQ event in the future.

HOW DO I WIN A PRIZE?

Winners will be drawn at random at the end of the QAL. More entries = more chances to win, but does not guarantee a prize.

HOW DO I EARN ENTRIES?

In February, share as many or as few posts or reels to Instagram using the correct hashtag #FinishItQAL while you work through your WIPs to enter the giveaway. Private accounts will not show up in the hashtag, so be sure to DM me your posts or participate via email.

Each in-progress share will count as 1 entry.
Each finished project will count as 5 entries.
Posting the “I’m Joining In!” image to your feed anytime before the end of the QAL will also count as 1 entry.
Carousel posts (multiple images in a single post or reel) will only count as 1 finished or 1 in-progress post.
Sharing finishes and progress to stories is awesome, but will not count as entries since I may not see them before they disappear.

WHAT COUNTS AS A “FINISHED” PROJECT?

“Finished” means there is no further work to be done on your project; its final stage of sewing has been completed, and you could wash it, use it, gift it, sell it, etc. For example, a completed quilt top is still in-progress; to be finished, it needs to be quilted and bound/faced/mounted.

HOW DO I KNOW MY ENTRIES COUNT?

If I’ve added a “heart” to your post/reel, you’ll know I’ve seen it and counted it! Because hashtags are no longer able to be viewed chronologically, it’s possible I might accidentally miss your share; I’m only one person doing my best to support you all! Kindly tag me in your post comments if it’s been more than a few days and I haven’t “hearted” your post yet. If you’re still having trouble, you can reply to any of the weekly QAL emails for additional help.

IS THE QAL OPEN INTERNATIONALLY?

Yes! We have several digital prizes that will be available for all participants. Be sure to check your QAL emails dated on or after January 29 for details about sponsors and prizes available. Due to the increasing cost of shipping and the lack of international sponsors at this time, physical prizes will be available in the United States only in 2024. I would love to include more international sponsors and prizes in future years. Thank you for understanding!