Birds in the Air Quilt Block: Easy Tips for Perfect Results

The Birds in the Air quilt block has always been one of my favorites, but with all of those triangles and bias edges, it can be a little intimidating to make. Don’t let that dissuade you from trying this beautiful quilt block! I’ve come up with some helpful tips that will give you crisp points and a perfectly sized block. With the right preparation and a few simple adjustments, you’ll come to love making the Birds in the Air quilt block, too.

UPDATE: This post now includes a free pdf pattern with eight block sizes!

About The Birds In The Air Quilt Block

Block Grid

The Birds In The Air block is based on a 3 x 3 grid, just like a basic 9-patch block. This information makes it easy to determine the size of each square within the block after establishing the finished block size. Examples of finished block sizes with a 3 x 3 grid are 3″, 4.5″, 6″, 7.5″, 9″, and 12″.

How to make a Birds In The Air Block

For this tutorial, we will be making a 9″ finished quilt block using one light fabric and one dark fabric. The instructions will make oversized HSTs that are trimmed down; all other triangles are cut exact. See my TIPS section for making the other triangles oversized – plus trimming techniques.

• All seams are 1/4″
• HST = half-square triangle
• RST = right sides together

Cutting Instructions

Light Fabric

• (2) 4″ x 4″ squares (HST units)
• (2) 3 7/8″ squares cut in half diagonally (small triangles – you’ll only need three)

Dark Fabric

• (2) 4″ x 4″ squares (HST units)
• (1) 9 7/8″ square, cut in half diagonally (large triangle – you’ll only need one)

NOTE: If you want to make the small triangles oversized, cut the light squares 4″ instead of 3 7/8″. You can also oversize the large triangle by cutting the dark square 10″ instead of 9 7/8″.

Piecing Instructions

Make HST units

• On the wrong side of each light 4″ square, draw a diagonal line from corner to corner.
• Place a light 4″ square RST with a dark 4″ square. Stitch 1/4″ on each side of the diagonal line.
• Cut apart on the diagonal line and press toward the dark.
• Trim HSTs to 3 1/2″ square. You’ll only need three HST units.

Tips for Perfect Points and an Accurate Block

• Prepare the fabric by starching before cutting out the pieces. When working with triangles and exposed bias edges, distortion along the seam is common. Starch will add some stability to the fabric grain. It will also help keep pieces aligned when sewing.
• Cut the small triangles slightly oversized. Making the smaller triangles larger will give you the ability to trim the pieced triangle to the correct size. For example, if a pattern calls for 3 7/8″ squares cut in half diagonally, bump it up to at least 4″ squares.
• Cut the large triangle slightly oversized. This is another opportunity to make up for any discrepancy (aka wonkiness) in the block and allows for trimming at the end. This is especially helpful if you used exact-size small triangles.
• Use pins to keep pieces aligned when sewing each seam.
• Check your 1/4″ seam allowance. You may need a scant 1/4″ seam to get the correct block size.
• Press carefully, especially along bias edges.
• Make a test block first. This is always a good practice when trying out a new block or pattern.
• When sewing the rows together for the pieced triangle section, make sure to align the diagonal seams of the HSTs to get perfect intersecting points. Below right, you can see how I use a setting pin to achieve this. Read more about that in my 8 Tips To Create A Perfect Quilt Block.

Tips For Trimming Oversized Birds In The Air Quilt Blocks

1. If using oversized triangles, place the triangle a little above the HST when aligning the pieces. This will give you some trimming room along the straight edges of the pieced triangle section.

2. Trim the short sides of the pieced triangle section first. If you did Tip #1, you should have a little bit to trim to get a perfect corner. You can see in my example below, there wasn’t much to trim but it was enough to get it just right.

Making blocks, or units/sections within a block, oversized so you can trim them to the exact size is very helpful to get an accurate block in the end. However, it can be tricky to know where to trim the long side of the pieced triangle section in the Birds In The Air quilt block. The following tips show two ways that make the process easy to do.

3. If the small triangles of the pieced section have been oversized, keep the large triangle the exact size. This will serve as a measuring tool to trim the pieced section.

4. a) OR use a ruler to trim the long edge of the triangle. My favorite ruler for this is the Folded Corner Clipper XL by Creative Grids. This ruler shows the 1/4″ seam allowance on the long edge, has markings to show the block size, and you can trim the points as well. If you don’t have the XL version, you can use the regular size – you’ll just have to make two separate cuts.

4. b) The other ruler that works well is the Simple Folded Corners Ruler by Doug Leko. This ruler has the same function as the one above, and it works in the same way for trimming this triangle section. FYI, these rulers were originally intended to create snowballed corners or stitch & flip corners. You can read about them both in this blog post.

I don’t recommend using a square ruler to trim the pieced triangle section. It’s difficult to line up the 1/4″ line of the ruler with the long triangle edge AND know that the two short sides are lined up correctly.

5. You can oversize the large triangle – if you’re not using it as a measuring tool to trim the pieced triangle section. This will give you another chance to square up the block at the end.

More Ways to Use the Birds in the Air Quilt Block

One of the benefits of the Birds In The Air block is it’s versatility. It has the same qualities as HSTs in that it can be configured in so many ways! Take a look below to see how differently it looks depending on the block rotation.

I used this block in my Season Reflections quilt pattern and it’s one of my favorite quilts! This is a free pattern that I created for my blog followers. The block size is 7.5″ (finished) and the quilt size is 38″ x 38″. It makes a great wall hanging, crib quilt or accent throw. If you haven’t gotten your free pattern, you can click below. You can find more quilt details and photos here.

Get your FREE Season Reflections Quilt Pattern Here!

You can make your quilt bigger or smaller, by changing the size of the quilt blocks and/or by making more blocks. There are so many options with the Birds In the Air quilt block!

FREE quilt block pdf

I’ve created a free Birds In The Air quilt block pattern that includes eight block sizes! It also has instructions for making the blocks oversized or exact – whichever you prefer.

Final Thoughts

The Birds in the Air quilt block may look a little intimidating at first, but with a few helpful tips and a little extra care, those triangles are much easier to manage. I hope this tutorial gives you the confidence to give this classic block a try and, more importantly, enjoy the process! Whether you make just one block or use it in an entire quilt, there are so many beautiful possibilities with the Birds in the Air quilt block.