These Geese Won't Fly!
 

Help! I've made hundreds of flying geese and they rarely come out right. Used several different methods/rulers (haven't tried the Ricky Timms method because I'm using strip scraps, squares not really an option). My geese always come out wonky with one side drooping so they won't square up right. The second wing seems to be OK, so I must be doing something to the first one when I sew/press the second one.

Yesterday I had to re-make 10 units because some were so bad. (Well, I should have re-made 100, but forget that!!) I measured and cut carefully (using Easy Angle and Companion Angle rulers), was careful about not stretching the bias edges, double-checked my seam allowances, pressed carefully. Still wonky, though not quite as bad.

Obviously I'm pulling or stretching somehow? Experienced quilters, can you tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks for your help!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F7WQpzk...%3DF7WQpzknLGg

This was the answer for me, I love making FG with Deb Tucker's Wing Clipper.
Hang in there!

Have you tried Eleanor Burns' method? I have the Wing Clipper. I haven't used it yet, but Doug Leko swears by it.

I'm was like you with the my flying greese. I gave up on cut and recuttting and have been paper peiceing my now and have been having much better luck.

El Burns is my method and I have no problems with them.

can you show a picture

Are u cutting triangles for the edges....I prefer cutting a rectangle...say 3 x6 then two squares 3x3. Lay one square on top of rec at corner..sew diagonal from point of square to point, actually a thread to the outside edge...... Fold over, iron,cut the square tail, but leave the rec back ther...that is your true size..

I can ONLY do it using the Quilt in a Day flying geese ruler. All other methods result in one short wing for me. I have no idea why. If all else fails, buy the rulers. I hate specialty rulers in general, but these are the only way I can get it done.

I prefer to paper piece flying geese and square in a square blocks.

You can make the PP pattern easy with Microsoft Word!!!

Open a new Word document
Select "View" and click the "Gridlines" box
Click on "Insert" Tab
Select "Shapes" drop down menu
Select the rectangle shape
In the grid of the document, trace out the size of the rectangle you want (this would be the size of the goose with the 1/4" border)
You will now have a rectangle shape in your document
Click shapes dropdown again and select a rectangle again. Now draw a rectangle inside the other rectangle starting 1/4" from one of the corners, and drag your mouse to 1/4" of the opposite corner. Now you have your rectangle for the goose with a 1/4" seam allowance around it
Click shapes dropdown box again and select a triangle
Inside the rectangle you just created - draw the triangle. Start at the bottom corner and drag your mouse up the top center (the center top is marked with a dot so you can see it easy)
Now you have your finished goose!
Now ... hold down your "cntl" key and select each of the elements (outside rectangle, inside rectangle, and triangle) then right click your mouse and select "grouping" then "group". Now all three elements are "stuck" together. You can right click, copy and paste as many as you want on the page.

Have you tried the big square. You get three flying geese out of each one.

I didn't know it was 'The Ricky Timms' method. I thought I was efficiently using up scraps to make my flying geese. Good to know! It is fast and efficient, then I simply trim to size and they are perfect every time. As I sew geese according to my available scraps, I do sometimes simply sew over sized triangles together and then trim to size. I've never been able to sew either flying geese or half square triangles using triangles that were cut to the 'right' size. I've always had to go a little over size and then trim them--but now I can do them MY way and they are done right every time. Maybe Ricky Timms learned that from me????? jus' sayin' :)

Grammahunt

I had the same problem until I broke down and got El's mini geese ruler set http://www.quiltinaday.com/shoponlin...ay.asp?i=14311 and agree with lisa's comment about specialty rulers I tried all the other methods and failed even ricky tims way but I didn't care for the pocket/pouch effect of the geese block El's geese rulers only way I can do them with out stressing myself out, as I could never figure out what I was doing wrong wing clipper looks like it would good also but already have all sizes of El's flying geese rulers I purchased with joanns 50% off coupons

I used the "fast 45" method which makes one unit when I made my River Trees avatar quilt. A little waste but sharp points every time.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t230754.html
http://www.quiltviews.com/river-tree-the-quilt

Then I used the method that makes 4 at a time for a Northern Journey quilt. No waste!
http://www.northcott.net/images/quil...20pattern1.pdf

Both worked well for me. I avoided making them before I found these methods because I had the same problem you seem to be having...they always stretched. Ugh! Now they're easy.

I always mark the center where I am going to sew. and then when you sew ,sew a sew line from the marked line on the side that is going to be cut if I do this it works great.

This is what I do when I want them each different. However I do trim the underside after sewing each square to the rectangle so I have less to quilt through. I have my routine so that I always start at the sameend of the FG so they look more uniform.
Most of the other methods end up with the FG all being the same.

Same with me. I tired various methods but when you use EB method, you can actually check to make sure you stitching is correct before you trim. If you need to make any adjustment, it is simple to do. Then you can find out where you have been making a mistake. I have made hundreds using her method and they all come out absolutely perfect !!!

I have an easy solution. Invest in a CD called Triangulations 3.0, it's about $30 but well worth it. You can print off many different sizes to make (paper piece) flying geese, HST, and QST. They will come out perfect every time. It's definitely worth the investment and something you will use for many years to come.

That's what I do, too. :thumbup:

I paper piece so they come out perfect, but I did see a trick at a local quilt store. The owner who is a wonderful seasoned quilter doesn't cut the block that is making the geese, she just folds it over and presses it down. She said "professional" quilters wouldn't agree it is an acceptable method but that is the only thing she has done to make them turn out right. It didn't add an over abundance of bulk and it kept the bias cuts from stretching, producing a perfect triangle.

I will tell you MY solution for bad flying geese-------Use Deb Tucker's Tucker Trimmer Flying Geese ruler (believe her site is Studio 180 Designs)….when I used her rulers, everything comes out perfect……( and I take honors for creative ways of messing up blocks!) Try it…..

Use to struggle with the geese too, but switched to PP. It's the only way to fly:D (OK, collective groan here)

Quilt in a Day flying geese ruler works for me as a new quilter. El Burns always has over sized blocks so you can trim them to the perfect size.

Yes, a groaner but well worth it!

I also paper piece my flying geese. I have eq7 so I can print off whatever size I want. Currently working on flying geese as sashing for a quilt with nine large blocks and I wouldn't be able to do it any other way.

Me too - the Wing Clipper Rules! (pun intended!)

Starch the heck out of the fabric before cutting, then again each seam and pressing. The stiffness will keep the fabric from stretching.
I use the rectangle with squares method.

So do I! It takes a bit more time to trim make it and trim it down, but the block comes out perfectly!

I have been looking at methods to make flying geese and Eleanor Burns method seems pretty Kelly-proof, since she makes them a little large so they can be trimmed to proper size.

I, too, make horrible flying geese. The only way I can make them look okay is to use the Ricky Tims method, but then you have to sew the edges down. Don't like how that looks. I made a king size quilt that had 12 stars within a star and each star had 4 FG. So I made 64 FG and the long armer that quilted that quilt said I was an excellent sewer. She said it in a room full of her clients. They all said "You've never said that to me". And it was those stupid FG that came out all cockeyed. But when I put them together, they went together well. I did the long rectangle and two squares on either side, like usual, and they turned out horrible, but I used them, and they worked well for some reason. ??? Next time I'm trying the big square and 4 little squares. Heard that's easy.

I love the Eleanor Burns method.

Wow, you guys are great! I'm seeing (1) paper piecing, (2) EB Quilt in a Day and (3) Wing Clipper. I'd already decided that working with cut triangles was a problem, so I'm going to suck it up and not worry about "waste" (throwing out a bunch of crummy units is even more waste!).

I've had learning paper piecing on my list for quite a while. Sounds like it's time to get on that. I don't have EQ, but I do have Quilt Pro for Mac and they have something like Triangulations.

Here's my commitment: I'm going to try your suggestions and make a bunch of flying geese with each method. I'll put them together in a block and will post the results. THANK YOU!

I do like oversized pieces. I loathe trimming, but it sure does the trick!

You've made my day! A Super Member who had the same problem. I'm checking this out!

I've made one quilt with flying geese. None of the geese are the same, unless it happened by accident. I put them together into the quilt and am pleased with the quilt. So it's wonky, big deal. It still looks pretty.

But I have sworn off flying geese for the forseeable future, although the thought of paper piecing them is a wee bit intriguing.

Are you pressing or ironing? Pressing is up and down, as in lifting the iron up, putting it down, lifting, putting down and pressing down on the fabric,and it flattens the piece. Ironing is side to side and moves the threads out of grain. Press only!!

Deb Tuckers wing clipper is the only way. I have EB flying geese ruler need separate ruler for differents size geese, however the wing clipper is one ruler for many sizes...

Do you mean the Eleanor Burns method? One square (sky) 1.5" larger than the other (goose) one, sewn, cut, sewn again and trimmed with her ruler, giving 4 identical geese? This works great for me, as you have just enough extra fabric to trim exactly the way you want it.

You must have been looking over my shoulder. (Or I was looking over yours.) I just finished 42 such crumb blocks, and yours would fit right in with mine. (Yep, I counted 37 pieces, just like mine.) The only thing I did differently was: I started in the middle with a square inch of black (but not square) and built around that. Tomorrow I'm going to be sitting at JoAnn's, putting that thing together in their classroom while we are waiting for about 3 hours between appointments. They said I could do that. I love making crumb blocks.

My corner stones are a two inch square made of at least 3 pieces, and some have as many as seven!

I hated making flying geese until I found paper pieced pattern on quiltview.com I just finished a quilt using this method and I love it. I try and post picture as soon as I learn how to post picture. It was a lot easier to post before all the changes