10 Quilt Block of the Month Clubs You Can Join for 2021

I’m trying something new this year! I’ve always wanted to join a quilt block of the month club, but never seem to think of it in January when they actually begin, haha! And then I just feel like I’ll start out behind and that’s no fun, so I don’t bother.

But this year, unusually, I started looking at the right time and I found a great one to join! While I was at it, I discovered several fun BOM clubs happening for 2021, some free and some that you can pay to join, so I thought I’d compile them here and hopefully inspire you to join one!

If you don’t know what a Block of the Month club is, basically a blogger or quilt designer will design a quilt and release instructions for one block per month, so that at the end of the year you can put a whole quilt together with your blocks. It’s fun because each block is a surprise! It’s simple, low pressure, plus you get to see how different other people’s quilts look from yours at the end.

First let me tell you about the BOM quilt I’m following along with! Barbara Brackman at Civil War Quilts is hosting a Louisa May Alcott inspired quilt-a-long called Hands All Around: Alcotts at War. I’m so excited about this because I’m a history lover AND a Little Women super fan, and she’s including the coolest historical information with the release of each block.

The first block is named for Abigail Alcott, Louisa’s mother, who was involved with the Underground Railroad and helped many slaves escape to freedom. Such an inspiring lady!

Here’s how my first block turned out. (Also, I’m laughing because my favorite gray/blue solid background fabric is the same exact color as my walls, which I’ve now chosen for the paint in two homes. I must like it!)

I’m using scraps and fabrics I have on hand for my quilt and I’m very happy with how this looks. I really love the process of pairing up scraps for a quilt! I’m obviously taking a more modern angle with the fabrics. I’ve never done a block of the month before, and the hardest part was stopping at one block, ha! Once I’m in the quilting zone, I want to keep going.

If you’re interested in trying a block of the month club, here are ten for you to check out. Some have a monthly fee and some you pay for up front, but many are Free. I’ll denote the free ones, but check out the links for the prices on the others.

10 Quilt Block of the Month Clubs to Check out for 2021

1. Hands All Around: Alcotts at War. The first post in the series went up last week. It’s worth reading the posts for the history, even if you don’t make the blocks! FREE

2. Mini Mondays hosted by Temecula Quilt Company. This quilt-a-long is not monthly, but weekly! Follow along for new mini blocks each month.By the end of the year, you’ll have 48 blocks. FREE

3. Stay at Home Round Robin by Quilting Gal. This concept is different and so fun! You make a center block, then it gets added onto with interesting borders and other concepts. It looks like you’ll end up with a super cool, unique quilt at the end! FREE

4. Mystery Stitch-a-long by Annie’s Fiction. Oh my goodness, anyone who knows me in real like know that I’m a mystery LOVER. This mystery quilt concept is so fun. People are so creative and amazing, right!? You can choose Murder by the Block or A Pattern for Murder and solve the mystery while you quilt. Hobbies colliding, I love it.

5. Around the World Block of the Month by Whole Circle Studio. This one is so cool! Such unique blocks. You know I love me some paper piecing.

Photo belongs to wholecirclestudio.com

6. Old School Block of the Month by Persimmon Dreams. This one is fun because a different quilter design the mystery block each month. This would be a good one to build skills, since the blocks will include many different techniques and you’ll get to learn from so many different people. Find the first block here. FREE

7. Fat Quarter Shop is in it’s 14th years of hosting its Designer Mystery Block of the Month! The monthly fee is small for this one and it’s stated that it’s for beginners or experienced quilters alike. Fat Quarter Shop is such a trusted name in quilting fabrics and instruction, so I wanted to include it here for those who hadn’t heard of it. If you’re needing high quality instruction, try this one out.

8. Observatory Quilt Block of the Month by Swim Bike Quilt. This is sure to be a beautiful design in the end and is beginner friendly. Paper piecing and traditional piecing instructions are both included, which is cool. If you’re not as into the sampler look of many of these quilt-a-longs, this looks to be one with a more cohesive end product. Streamlined and modern.

9. The Sewcialites Quilt-a-Long by Fat Quarter Shop. This one started last September, but it goes until June of this year so it won’t be hard to catch up. I wanted to include it because the end design is just so fun! You can find block 1 here and go on from there. The community seems really great with this one and we all love being part of the sewing community, right?? They’re the best. FREE

10. Moda Blockheads. This is another one that has already begun — in fact, it’s almost done, but I wanted to include it here because it’s Moda and therefore very trustworthy for quilt patterns and fabrics. AND because they’re currently on the 3rd round of this kind of thing, so chances are, if they’ve done 3, they might start a 4th. But even if they don’t, you can go back and sew the past year’s blocks at your own pace (56 in total!) while you wait and see if this fab weekly block-a-long will start afresh this year. FREE

Are you inspired to quilt!? I’m sticking with just the one for now, but I sure am tempted to add another, in particular the Round Robin. We’ll see.

Cheers!

Nikki