Beginners Unite! Flying Geese

Flying Geese is the next unit in the Beginners Unite! series.

Flying Geese units are heavily used in quilt patterns and it's worth getting them trimmed and perfect. Just like half square triangle units (HST) there are different ways and rulers to use when making Flying Geese.  In this post I will show you how to  make them the old fashioned original way and how to make them using the No Waste method. I will also show how to trim them if you make them over sized, using a Wing Clipper® from Deb Tucker 180 Design Studio (no affiliation) and just a square from Creative Grids. 

No Waste Flying Geese

The measurements I'm using in this tutorial are for over sized FG units. but the instructions for piecing are the same even if you make them to be exact. 

For this tutorial you need:

1 - 5 1/2" square

4 - 3" squares

On the wrong side of the 3" squares draw a diagonal line.

Place two of the 3" squares on the 5 1/2" square, right sides together, as shown.

Stitch 1/4" on either side of the line.

Cut apart on the drawn line.

Press towards triangles.

Place a 3" square on each of the units made. 

Stitch 1/4" on either side of line.

Cut on the drawn line.

Press towards triangles. This method will give you four Flying Geese units.

Trimming with a Wing Clipper® ruler

The lines on the Wing Clipper® make it really easy to know where to trim. 

We are trimming these to 2 1/2" x 4 1/2". Find the little diagonals for the 2 1/2" mark and line it up with the point. Trim.

Rotate the FG unit and line up the lines again on the point. Trim

Trimming with a square

I like to make a mark on the half way point on the ruler. Use a sharpie and put a piece of scotch tape or packing tape over it if you have a lot to trim, because it will wear off.

Line the half way mark (in this case 2 1/4") with the point, making sure to give yourself 1/4" seam allowance as well. Trim.

Rotate FG unit and line up the cut edge on the 4 1/2" line. Trim.

Original Flying Geese Unit

For this unit we need:

1 - 2 1/2" 4 1/2" rectangle

2 - 2 1/2" squares

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the 2 1/2" squares.

Place one square right sides together on the rectangle. Note direction of drawn line. 

Stitch. I like to stitch just a tish off the line, towards the outside corner.

Press and trim.

Place the other square on the rectangle, noting direction of drawn line.

Stitch. 

Press and trim. This will give you one Flying Geese unit.

All 3 Flying Geese units, and you can't tell which one is which, so do the one you enjoy doing. Quilting is about joy and beauty.

Happy Stitching!

Jen

1) Intro - May 2

2) Quilting supplies ~ What makes the process easier - May 9
2a) Side Trip ~ Maintenance - May 11
3) Choosing fabric and color - May 16

4) Accurate cutting - May 23
4a) Side Trip ~ Cutting Large Yardage - May 25

5) That crazy scant 1/4 inch seam allowance - May 30

6) Sewing strips and squares - June 6
7) HST - Half Square Triangles (My one true love) - June 13

8) Flying Geese - You are here

9) What about those blocks that are just a tad off? - June 27
9) Strip Piecing - July 11

11) Is there a trick to keeping those points? - July 13

12) Adding Borders - July 18

13) Sandwich that top - July 25

14) Quilting - August 1

15) Binding - August 8
16) Labels  - August 15

Beginners Unite! A beginner's quilting series.

How's that for a title? So much better than "Quilter's 101" or "How to Quilt", which are both fine titles, except... it's spring and the last thing I want to do is feel like I'm in a classroom. (My apologies to my children and teacher husband, currently in classrooms.)

A few weeks ago some fellow designers were helping me "find myself." Who am I as a designer, where is my heart? All along my heart has desired to bring new quilters to this wonderful craft. So here we are, at the very beginning. 

A few things before we kick this off.

1) I am human. ;)

2) This is just how I do things. I don't turn my quilts in to be judged at shows, I make them to make me happy.

3) It is not "my way or the highway" here. It is "this is my way, use it if you will, but find your way and do that."

4) I am still learning new things. It's a great big quilting world out there, never stop learning!

5) There are no affiliations here. What I use is what I love, and I'm just sharing them with you. Find and use what you love.

6) Please feel free to share your tips for each section in the comments. This is about growing as quilters.

7) I am human. Yep, I said it before, but as I go forward with this, I may or may not be able to keep this to a once a week series for the next few weeks. That whole "never stop learning" thing goes for blogging, too. I am definitely at the beginning of that mountain. Plus, there is a rumor going around that I have an 18 year old set to graduate this spring. I don't know, I tend to ignore those nasty rumors.

Schedule

 I think every Tuesday will be the goal. Here is the planned list of topics, but if I think of others as I go, they will be added as well.

1) Intro ~ you are here - May 2 (That's today, whoo hoo!)

2) Quilting supplies ~ What makes the process easier - May 9
2a) Side Trip ~ Maintenance - May 11
3) Choosing fabric and color - May 16

4) Accurate cutting - May 23
4a) Side Trip ~ Cutting Large Yardage - May 25

5) That crazy scant 1/4 inch seam allowance - May 30

6) Sewing strips and squares - June 6

7) HST - Half Square Triangles (My one true love) - June 13

8) Flying Geese - June 20

9) What about those blocks that are just a tad off? - June 27
9) Strip Piecing - July 11

11) Is there a trick to keeping those points? - July 13
12) Adding Borders - July 18

13) Sandwich that top - July 25

14) Quilting - August 1

15) Binding - August 8
16) Labels  - August 15

Added later:

17) Squaring a Square in a Square unit
18)

See something I missed? Leave a suggestion in the comments! I'm so excited to get started with this. Send those new quilters over and lets help them find a love of this amazing thing we call quilting!

It all begins Tuesday, May 9th!

Happy Stitching!

Jen