Making Geese Fly

Flying Geese, they are wonderful things aren't they? Next to a 9-patch they are probably the most iconic shape in our quilting repertoire. And incredibly versatile.

You can make a whole gaggle, construct a star or surprise - here's a pinwheel.

Understanding the math involved in a traditional Flying Geese block is the first step.

It's important to remember that traditional Flying Geese always have a ratio of 1 to 2.

In other words, your goose is always twice as wide as it is tall.

So, if your finished goose unit is 3” tall, it would be 6” wide. If it is 4" tall, it should measure 8" wide and so on.

Once you know how big your 
finished goose unit needs to be,
you're ready to fly.

These measurements can be used for traditional piecing as well as the "no waste" method for making Flying Geese.

• A = desired height of finished unit + 7/8”
• B = desired width of finished unit + 1-1/4”

Check out these three methods for piecing Flying Geese: 
(these links will be updated as the methods are introduced ... check back often, they're being cut, sewn, photographed and explained ~ as we speak ~ )

• Traditional piecing ... each piece is cut and sewn individually by hand or by machine
• "No Waste" or "Four at a Time" method
• 45° or "wasteful" method - so called because you will have left-over half square triangles