How to Easily and Quickly Make 4 Flying Geese Blocks

I had a fear of the Flying Geese Quilt Block.  Are there any quilt blocks you ‘fear’ to make?  Maybe a block with curves or even one with points?  It’s not that you really fear the block, but you either don’t trust that you have the skills needed or you’ve tried to make it several times, but it just never turns out right.  Fear of imperfection perhaps?  I know that was my issue.

I avoided making quilts with Flying Geese blocks for a long time.  Every technique, ruler, template I tried only resulted in frustration.  The blocks were just never quite square no matter how careful I was.  For a time, stitching a hair to the right of a diagonal line drawn on the fabric seemed to work, but I had to be so careful.  I would fold the corners back and make sure it looked square.  Rip the stitches out if it did not look right.  Ugh.

So, I finally gave up.  I looked for patterns without a Flying Geese Quilt Block.  There are plenty of patterns that don’t include a Flying Geese block, right?  But, I love the block and there are so many ways to use it.  So, I finally decided that I was not going to be defeated.  I just hadn’t found the right tool or trick, right?  I found a templates, foundation piecing techniques, tips and tricks of all sorts that promised to solve all my problems.  To make a long story short, none of them worked for me.

The Solution

I finally found the The Ultimate Flying Geese Tool from Creative Grids®.  Now, I can make a Flying Geese block that makes me happy.  Actually, with this tool I can make 4 Flying Geese blocks at one time.  Definitely a bonus.  But, especially useful when making blocks for my Destinations quilt.

How I Use the Ultimate Flying Geese Tool®

• Decide on a finished size for your flying geese block.  Look at the chart printed on the ruler to determine how large to cut each of the fabric squares needed (take note of the letter assigned to the size you’ve chosen, you need it later)
• The largest fabric square will become your ‘goose’ or the triangle in the middle; the smaller fabric squares will become the ‘sky’ or triangles on either side of the ‘goose’
• Now lay the large fabric square right-side up on your mat and lay the smaller squares right-side down on opposite corners

• I use my Creative Grids® 15-inch seam guide to draw two diagonal sew lines on the fabric, then pin

• Sew on the lines you’ve drawn and then use a ruler to measure 1/4″ in from one of the lines and cut the fabric in two

• Press the triangular pieces back so your blocks look like the figure below

• Lay another small square right-side down on the remaining corner of the block.

• Draw your sew lines again as you did above and sew on the lines
• Cut between the lines you’ve sewn and press each block open.  You will now have 4 Flying Geese blocks!

The Secret to a Beautiful Block

The secret is trimming up, squaring up, cutting down . . . whatever you want to call it.  If you make the block just a little too big as the tool has you do, you can trim it to perfection.

• First, line up the diagonal lines on the ruler with the seam lines in your block.  Use the letters listed on the tool to determine the lines to use

• Trim your block
• Flip the block 180 degrees and flip the ruler 180 degrees.  Line up the straight lines (labeled with the letter you chose) with the edges of your block.  Trim the edges.

• You should have a beautiful, even Flying Geese block
• Repeat the process for the other 3 blocks

Hallelujah!  No more fear of the Flying Geese Quilt Block.

Just a reminder why I’m making stacks of Flying Geese Blocks in the first place. . .

My Destinations quilt uses 28 – Blue Flying Geese and 24 – Gray Flying Geese blocks

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