Need "No Waste Flying Geese" help
 

I'm working on my first Flying Geese. I've opted to use the No Waste Flying Geese method adding a little extra to trim at the end to make perfect. I'm trying to make finished 5 x 10 geese. According to the charts I find, my Geese squares should be 11 3/4 square (11 1/4 + 1/2 extra) and my Sky squares should be 6 1/4 square (5 7/8 + 3/8 extra). The problem is, when I lay these out as instructed to mark the cutting and sewing lines, it looks like the sky squares don't line up as they should. When I measure the diagonal from corner to corner on the large square it doesn't go through the points on the smaller squares. I've measured and re-measured my squares and they are correct.

-- Is it supposed to look like this?
-- Are my measurements off?

Any help is appreciated! :shock:

https://www.thespruce.com/no-waste-f...quilts-2821760

seems to explain things well

If I understood the directions correctly -

Cut your big squares 11-1/4 (the squares will end up being quarter square triangles QSTs -) -which explains the + 1-1/4 "
Cut your small squares 5-7/8 (the squares will end up being half square triangles HSTs) - which explains the + 7/8 "

Much as I dislike "scant 1/4 inch" directions - sew a very scant 1/4 inch from the drawn line. You might need to do a couple of practice pieces geese to get your seam allowance to work the way you want it to.

You can "get by" with smaller squares for your practice pieces if you add the given amounts to the squares.

The "rules": Add 1-1/4 inches to larger square (example: 6 x 3 finished - cut square 7-1/4 x 7-1/4,
Add 7/8 inch to smaller square (example: 6 x 3 finished - cut square 3-7/8 x 3-7/8.

Thank you. That's what I was doing but following these directions and adding the 3/8 and 1/2 to trim. Which obviously isn't working out very well for me!! :)

http://www.generations-quilt-pattern...lt-blocks.html

Step 1Calculate the sizes of the sky and geese fabric for our 2"x4" finished unit.
Sky Fabric: 2" finished plus 7/8" equals 2-7/8"
Geese Fabric: 4" finished plus 1-1/4" equals 5-1/4"
Then cut 4 'sky' patches and 1 'geese' patch.
Personally, I like to cut my patches over-sized to start with, stitch the units and then trim them to the unfinished size. I find that adding 3/8" to the sky squares and 1/2" to the large Geese square provides plenty of 'fudge factor'. So I have cut the sky patches 2-7/8" + 3/8" or 3-1/4" and the Geese square 5-1/4" + 1/2" or 5-3/4" square.

Trimming instructions are included at the end of this tutorial


and adding

You say you're add in a little extra. Could that be the problem? I would think the measurements need to be exact for this method.

Theoretically, the dimensions I gave should "work".

I just tried it - I think you will be better off with adding extra and trimming down.

You can make your own trimming template if you don't have one.

My seams are 3/16" and some of the areas are still "scant"

Much easier to go bigger and trim down a bit.

i never thought to make my own template for this :)

Thank you bearisgray! I didn't think to do that either. I'm still struggling--with and without extra!

Where the "B" measurement says to add 7/8", most of us add a full inch. Gives a little leeway for trimming. Other than that, figure the dimensions as given without adding more leeway. This is my "always" method! A tip when trimming- I have a ruler with a triangle that intersects at the 1/4" mark. Lining up the ruler on your FG allows you to have an exact 1/4" seam allowance at the top. Then measure down from that intersection for the desired "B" measurement remembering to add for the bottom seam allowance! In the pictures mine has already been trimmed, but I often find it necessary and am thrilled I discovered this way!

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Where the white squares overlap - that should be a square - not a rectangle -

Are all your squares square? You might have a cutting error.

I know it should be square that's why I am confused! And I double checked my measurements after cutting. Based on the math I've found I'm using 6 1/4 white squares and 11 3/4 dark squares. Which doesn't seem quite right since I ended up with the rectangle!