The Flying Geese quilt block is traditionally made by sewing two precut squares to a precut rectangle and then trimming off the excess from the squares. This method requires precision to create an accurately sized block, and it wastes a fair amount of fabric. I prefer to use an easier four-at-a-time method that is more forgiving and allows you to trim the pieced block to your desired size. Here are instructions for both methods.
Traditional Method
Materials
- Quilting cotton:
- 1 fat quarter, 18" × 22" (45.7 × 55.9 cm): any solid color or print for “goose”
- 1 fat quarter, 18" × 22" (45.7 × 55.9 cm): white or cream for background “sky”
Instructions
Using the colored fabric, cut a fabric rectangle in the desired block size (for an 8½" × 4½" [21.6 × 11.4 cm] block, cut an 8½" × 4½" [21.6 × 11.4 cm] rectangle). Using the background fabric, cut two fabric squares to match the block height (for an 8½" × 4½" [21.6 × 11.4 cm] block, cut two 4½" × 4½" [11.4 × 11.4 cm] squares).
Place the fabric rectangle right side up, oriented horizontally; place one fabric square wrong side up on top of the rectangle and aligned with its left edge. Draw a line on the fabric square from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. Sew along the line. Leaving a ¼" (6 mm) seam allowance, trim off the excess bottom left corner. Press open the new corner.
Place the pieced fabric rectangle right side up, with the newly pieced corner on the left side. Place the second fabric square wrong side up on top of the fabric rectangle and aligned with its right edge. Draw a line on the fabric square from the top right corner to the bottom left corner. Sew along the line. Leaving a ¼" (6 mm) seam allowance, trim off the excess bottom right corner. Press open the new corner.
Four-at-a-Time Method
Materials
- Quilting cotton:
- 1 fat quarter, 18" × 22" (45.7 × 55.9 cm): any solid color or print for “goose”
- 1 fat quarter, 18" × 22" (45.7 × 55.9 cm): white or cream for background “sky”
Instructions
Using the colored fabric, cut a fabric square 1" (2.5 cm) larger than the desired block width (for an 8½" × 4½" [21.6 × 11.4 cm] block, cut a 9½" × 9½" [24.1 × 24.1 cm] square). Using the background fabric, cut four fabric squares 5/8" (1.6 cm) larger than the desired block height (for an 8½" × 4½" [21.6 × 11.4 cm] block, cut four 5 1/8" [13 cm] squares).
Place the larger (colored) fabric square right side up, oriented on point. Place one smaller (background) fabric square wrong side up on top of the larger square and aligned at the bottom point. Place a second smaller fabric square wrong side up on top of the larger square and aligned at the top point, slightly overlapping the lower small square. Draw a line on the smaller fabric squares from top to bottom. Pin. Sew scant ¼" (6 mm) seams along both sides of the line. Cut along the drawn line; press open both new pieces.
Place one of the new pieces right side up, with the large triangle at the top and the smaller triangles at the bottom. Place a small fabric square wrong side up on top of the new piece and aligned at the top point. Draw a line on the small fabric square from top to bottom. Pin. Sew scant ¼" (6 mm) seams along both sides of the line. Cut along the drawn line; press open both new pieces. Repeat this entire step with the other new piece and the last small fabric square.
Press all four pieced Flying Geese blocks and trim to desired block size (8½" × 4½" [21.6 × 11.4 cm]), leaving a ¼" (6 mm) margin along the edge with the two pieced corners.
Other Methods
There are other methods for sewing Flying Geese blocks as well, including a technique in which you start with three precut triangles that you sew together and a method in which you start with precut squares, sew half square triangles, then sew those together. However, I like to use the four-at-a-time method because it goes quickly, it wastes very little fabric, and it’s easier and more accurate for beginning quilters.
To see the Flying Geese Baby Quilt that I made for a new grandbaby, check out the Winter 2024 issue of PieceWork.
Lavon Peters is Long Thread Media’s managing editor. She learned to sew at age 12 and has been quilting since 1998, when she was pregnant with her oldest child and decided to make her first baby quilt.