Block Basics: Flying Geese – No-Waste

We’re learning a new way to do flying geese today.

This one’s great because when you’re done you have a set of 4 flying geese that all you have to do is a final trim and you’re ready to go.

How to Make No-Waste Flying Geese

Cut List

  • 1- 7 1/2” Square Background fabric
  • 4- 4 1/4” Square Pattern fabric

I like my pattern fabric to be a little bit bigger so I can trim them all nice and straight when I’m done.

Start by drawing a line corner to corner on the pattern fabric. We are going to pin two of these on the background fabric so there is one continuous line from corner to corner of the background fabric. The pattern fabric should overlap in the middle.

Sew 1/4” along each side of the drawn line.

Trim on the drawn line and press toward the pattern fabric. (You should now be working with two different pieces.)

When it’s all pressed it should look like a heart with the background as the bottom point and the pattern fabric as the top edges.

Place a pattern fabric on each of the pieces so it lines up with the last background corner edges and the drawn line runs down the center of the heart.

Sew 1/4” down each side of the line on both pieces.

Cut on the drawn line and press toward the pattern fabric.

Measure and Trim

Now its time to trim.

The trimmed size of these should be 3 1/2” tall by 6 1/2” wide.

Next week I will be going into detail how to trim flying geese, so hop back over and check that out then.

Questions

If you have any questions, please go watch the YouTube video. I go into much more detail in the video, and you can watch it and follow along.

If you have questions after that, drop them in my comment section below, or on the comment section of the video and I will come and answer them.

How to Make Any Size Block

What if you want a different size of your block? It’s time to do some math.

Determine what size your unfinished block needs to be. For example: 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″.

Take that width measurement and add 3/4”. That will be the size of your large square, or the center triangle of the flying geese.

In our example: 4 1/2″ + 1″ = 5 1/2″.

Take the height measurement and add 1/2″. This is the size of your four, small squares, or the two points on each side of the flying geese.

In our example: 2 1/2″ + 3/4″ = 3 1/4″.

So you will cut 1- 5 1/2″ square and 4- 3 1/4″ squares.

Beginner Skill Builder Sampler Quilt

If you’re following along with the beginner skill builder sampler quilt, we are on month 2, week 2.

Get your 4-patch done from last week, and from this week you’ll end up with 4 flying geese. Next week I’ll teach you how to trim them and on week 4 we’ll put together block 2.

Tag me!

I would love to see your progress. Just tag me at #theashleytomlinson or #ashley_sunnymade and I’ll be able to see you on social media. 

I want to see how they turn out!

Happy sewing!