Help with flying geese block
 

Hi, I am fairly new at quilting...I have sewn three quilts, all relatively easy on a scale of beginner to difficult.... I went out yesterday and purchased the fabric to star a quilt called Stars Ablaze. I found the pattern in a BHG quilt book....when I chose the pattern I thought it was just squares and triangles, which I have done in the past...however when I got home and really read through the directions, I am panicking.....one of the blocks is a Flying Geese block.....is there some reason why I can't just use two triangles to make the square and just piece then together accordingly....I will try to do one but I was just wondering and to be honest just afraid to try something new with such an expensive bunch of fabric??

thanks

Yes you can do have square triangles. I too hated flying geese until I bought Deb Tucker's flying geese ruler. It makes helps make the perfect flying geese.

Try a few on scrap fabrics first before you cut into the good stuff. I am in the exact same boat, and even bought a special ruler, but it won't work for the project that I have in mind, so I'll practice a few first so I can get the hang of it - or not:)

What about buying some cheap fabric or using some leftovers and giving them a try. One thing I learned from here is to starch them well before you start so you don't stretch. I had trouble at first but tried this method, it was the easiest for me but now I can do the regular way, I think I followed a Fon's and Porter tute or it might have been Jennie from Missouri Quilt. You can do it!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...s-t180442.html

google easy flying geese block & there are many variations on the technique. Here's a link to another way.http://www.connectingthreads.com/tut...hods__D16.html But if you want to you can just take one rectangle & two squares. Draw your diagonal lines on the squares stitch on the line, trim & voila you have the unit.

Some encouragement for you, Smg...if you have made three quilts already, the flying geese will be a breeze!! :-)

I agree with thimblebugs's statement above. Just take your time and practice a few using the method she described. For a beginner, I think this is the most straight forward method. You may need to square them up a bit when you are done and just be sure that you keep your 1/4" seam allowance above the point of the big triangle.

You can do this and you will be so proud of yourself!

Flying geese are really not that hard. As others have said just practice and follow the directions. Consider this a learning experience. All that said- the reason that you do not want to sew triangles together is that you will be sewing on the bias making it very easy to stretch the fabric and make it distorted. Good luck!!!!!!!!

When making my flying geese i always sew just a needles width off toward the part you cut away and they fit better than when I sew directly on the line.

Ok, you have all talked me into doing the pattern the proper way with the flying geese blocks....I want to grow and learn,,,this is my first step beyond the basic beginner quilts I have done in the past....here I go,,,,off to tidy up the sewing room and start practicing....thanks everyone!!! I just LOVE this site...

Yes, you can do two HSTs. Eleanor Burns did that in the quilt that hangs beside me. But the 2 squares and a rectangle isn't hard. I've used the method that makes 4 at a time, too, but those needed the most trimming and that's time consuming.

Hi....I know I will likely sound like such a newbie....but what is a HST..... I just watched this wonderful tutorial on the Missouri Start Quilt Co...and she showed this flying geese ruler.....but of course the pattern I picked out has the finished size of the flying geese that don't match up with any of the rulers I have searched for online......I am getting a little frustrated and so nervous and I haven't even gotten down to my sewing room yet.....

Hi...I found a flying geese ruler on the Missouri Star Quilt Co tutorial.....when I was looking to purchase one my size from my pattern 2.5 x 4.5 doesn't show up.....is this once again me confirming how new I am at this.....do these rulers only do two specific size geese or is it a range....and if so, would anyone know which size I should buy.......can you tell I am just so nervous to cut this beautiful fabric and do it wrong.....

So glad to hear you are going to give it a try! Practice first, they are really not all that hard to do, you will be surprised!!!

I just use a small ruler and mark with a mechanical pencil on the wrong side a diagnal line corner to corner on the small square. Also I start sewing on the inside(longest part). I really do not see purpose of having special rulers like flying geese although many board members do recommend them. Seems to me they cost extra money and may not be the size that you need so you have to make them the old fashion way anyway.

Would you believe it...I went down to begin practicing....there is something wrong with my rotary cutter.....I am going to pick up a new one tomorrow and start fresh......I know what my evenings will consist of this week...practice,practice,practice!!!

Good luck with your practice, sorry to hear about your rotary cutter! That stinks!

I think the easiest method of flying geese is where you take a rectangle and sew to squares to each corner. If you look it up on google there are MANY sites that offer the calculations for the size you need of geese. The reason I don't mess with sewing triangles together is I don't like fooling with bias edges. Doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't, I just think that's the easy no-think about it way. :)

Good luck!

I also just do the rectangle and two squares. I did this on one of my first quilts before I had heard that flying geese blocks were something to be afraid of. I think the fancy rulers and supposed short cuts makes them more complicated than they need to be. Just go for it :)

The rulers are marked in finished sizes, so I expect the finished size of your geese are 2 x 4". See if they have that size listed. I have the EZ Flying Geese ruler from Simplicity and love it. I rarely have to do any trimming, and it makes from a 1.5 x 3" up to 6 x 12" finished size. I've done the 4 at a time, but since I've gotten this ruler, I'm doing them the traditional way much quicker than the 4 at a time due to all the trimming I'm missing out of.

Use Deb Tucker ruler and they will be perfect every time and you get four at a time!! Try it and you'll be hooked.

HST=Half Square Triangle + the block made by sewing together two triangles. An easy way to make them if you need more than one of a color is to cut two squares from contrasting fabric 5/8" to 7/8" bigger than the desired square. Mark a diagonal line across the two stacked squares, sew a scant 1/4 on each side of the line, cut on the line. Open, press, trim slightly if needed and you have 2 blocks made of contrasting triangles.

Do an internet search for Ricky Tim's flying geese. He has a YouTube video of an easy way to make them. No special rulers needed.