Flying geese blocks: love ’em or hate ’em, they’re everywhere! Like the actual Canada geese in my neck of the woods, flying geese blocks can be simultaneously beautiful and a pain in the neck.
the basics of flying geese blocks
The traditional flying geese block consists of three triangles cut from two fabrics: one large center triangle of one fabric and two smaller triangles of another fabric. The large triangle is generally known as the “goose”. The smaller triangles represent “sky.” One flying geese unit finishes at a width which is twice its height (e.g., 2″ x 4″).
As well as being a versatile shape to create many quilt blocks like Dutchman’s Puzzle or Buzzard’s Roost, flying geese are a wonderful addition to pieced sashing or borders. They’re also a convenient way to use up scraps. As a design element, flying geese blocks add movement to many quilts (such as Meteor Watch) and can be placed strategically to guide the viewer’s eye to a desired focal point.
Curved flying geese add interest and movement to paper-pieced blocks. You can draft your own “freestyle” geese that vary in width, or you can stick to an arc of a single width like you see in this pillow I made from the book New York Beauties & Flying Geese.
Pattern by Carl Hentsch
how to make flying geese blocks
Here’s an overview of the methods I’ve used to make flying geese. I’ve found that for the Stitch and Flip and No-Waste methods, I do best when I make my flying geese a little oversized and then trim them to the size I want. You can subscribe to my newsletter to download a copy of the cheat sheet I’ve written to keep track of what sizes to cut for each method and the measurements to remember when trimming a flying geese block down to size.
Of course, there are other ways to make flying geese blocks. If I’d tried them, I’d tell you about them. The important thing is for you to find at least one method that works for YOU.
traditional triangles method
The traditional way to make flying geese blocks is with three triangles cut to the appropriate sizes. WARNING: There will be bias edges, and you have to pay attention to how you align the triangles.
when to use the traditional triangles method
- when you have a die cutter or cutting machine that cuts the pieces for you, or
- when you’re hand-piecing
sizing for the traditional triangles method
Large Triangle (Geese): Cut a square with side measurements the same as the finished width of the flying geese block + 1-1/4”, then cut on both diagonals to make four triangles (enough for four flying geese).
Small Triangles (Sky): Cut a square with side measurements the same as the finished height of the flying geese block + 7/8”, then cut on one diagonal to make two triangles (enough for one flying geese).
Example: To make a 1-1/2” x 3” finished flying geese block, cut a 4-1/4” x 4-1/4” square for the large triangle and a 2-3/8” x 2-3/8” square for the small triangles. After stitching, trim the block to 2” x 3-1/2”. (Refer to the cheat sheet for more sizes.)
traditional triangles flying geese block assembly
I used my Go! cutter to cut these shapes. The dies trim off the points for you, making it easy to align the triangles for a perfect quarter inch seam.
Align one small triangle right sides together with the large triangle.
Stitch with a quarter inch seam allowance on one side (the hypotenuse of the small triangle).
Press the small triangle out and then repeat the whole process with the other small triangle.
Press and trim your flying geese block.
stitch and flip Method
Most quilters make their first flying geese using the stitch and flip method. You use a rectangle and two squares for this one. This method involves trimming triangles after stitching each line, which can feel pretty wasteful (especially with larger geese), but the most resourceful quilters can use those trimmings to make bonus half-square triangles.
when to use the stitch and flip method
- when you’re making a quilt with fewer than four flying geese from a particular combination of fabrics, or
- when using directional fabrics, if you need the prints oriented in the same direction on every flying geese block, or
- when working with scraps that are too small for the no-waste method
sizing for the stitch and flip method
Large Triangle (Geese): Cut a rectangle with side measurements the same as the finished width and height of the flying geese block + 1/2” (enough for one flying geese).
Small Triangles (Sky): Cut two squares with side measurements the same as the finished height of the flying geese block + 1/2” (enough for one flying geese).
Example: To make a 1-1/2” x 3” finished flying geese block, cut a 2” x 3-1/2” rectangle for the large triangle and two 2” x 2” squares for the small triangles. After stitching, trim the block to 2” x 3-1/2”. (Refer to the cheat sheet for more sizes.)
stitch and flip flying geese block assembly
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each square. Place one square right sides together with the rectangle.
Stitch just a thread’s width to the outside of the drawn line (on the side you’re going to trim off).
Measure a quarter inch from the stitching line and trim the excess.
Press.
Place the second square right side down, making sure the line is correctly oriented.
Stitch just a thread’s width to the outside of the drawn line (on the side you’re going to trim off).
Measure a quarter inch from the stitching line and trim the excess.
Press and trim your flying geese block.
no-waste method
The no-waste method works especially well when making LOTS of flying geese since you make four at a time. You use one large square for the larger “geese” and four small squares for the smaller “sky” triangles. No-waste here means no trimming half-square triangles from the seam allowance as you do in the stitch and flip method.
when to use the no-waste method
- when you need four or more flying geese from the same fabric combination, or
- when using the same directional fabrics for four or more flying geese, but you want half oriented in one direction and half oriented 90° from there (like if you’re making a star block with two flying geese on the top and bottom and two on the sides and want the pattern all facing the same direction on the quilt)
sizing for the no-waste method
Large Triangle (Geese): Cut a square with side measurements the same as the finished width of the flying geese block + 1-1/4” (enough for four flying geese).
Small Triangles (Sky): Cut four squares with side measurements the same as the finished height of the flying geese block + 7/8” (enough for four flying geese).
Example: To make a 1-1/2” x 3” finished flying geese block, cut a 4-1/4” x 4-1/4” square for the large triangle and four 2-3/8” x 2-3/8” squares for the small triangles. After stitching, trim the blocks to 2” x 3-1/2”. (Refer to the cheat sheet for more sizes.)
no-waste flying geese block assembly
Draw two lines on the wrong side of each small square a quarter inch from a center diagonal. Align two squares right sides down as shown in the photo.
Stitch just a thread’s width to the side of the drawn lines (between the two lines). Cut between the lines of stitching.
Take the remaining small squares and draw two lines on the wrong side a quarter inch from a center diagonal. Place the squares right side down as shown in the photo.
Stitch just a thread’s width to the side of the drawn lines (between the two lines). Cut between the lines of stitching.
Press and trim your flying geese blocks.
paper-pieced method
When done correctly, foundation paper piecing is a tried and true method of ensuring accuracy in piecing. I’ve used foundation paper piecing for both curved flying geese and for making columns of quite small geese.
when to use the paper-pieced method
- when making curved flying geese
- when making columns of flying geese blocks
- when you’re uncomfortable with trimming flying geese blocks
how to paper piece flying geese
Teaching how to paper piece is another tutorial altogether. Here are some sources for different kinds of paper-pieced flying geese templates and tutorials:
- Individual geese templates at Fresh Lemons Quilts
- Triangles on a Roll (several sizes are available)
- Tutorial from Victoria Findlay Wolfe on drafting curved geese
- New York Beauties & Flying Geese book
how to trim flying geese blocks without special rulers
- Line up the 45° mark on your ruler with one of the diagonal seams in your flying geese block. Keeping the 45° mark aligned with a diagonal seam, slide the ruler until the point of the triangle is on the ¼” line. Trim the top of the flying geese block.
- Rotate the block 90°. Divide the desired width of your unfinished flying geese block by 2. Move the ruler so that the point of the triangle is on that measurement. Use the side you’ve already trimmed as a straight edge to align the ruler. Trim one side of the flying geese block.
- Rotate the block 90°. Measuring from the trimmed top, trim the bottom of the flying geese block to the desired height of the unfinished block.
- Rotate the block 90°. Measuring from the trimmed side, trim the other side of the flying geese block to the desired width of the unfinished block.
helpful hints to save those points
pressing
If you can, remember to starch your fabric before cutting into it. Starch can shrink the fibers up a little bit, so it’s better to take care of it before cutting. Starching the fabric reduces the risk of stretching and distorting the fabric that’s been cut on the bias.
If you use spray starch, spray the wrong side of the fabric, then flip the fabric over to press from the right side. This prevents the shine that sometimes occurs when you apply a hot iron to starched fabric (especially dark fabric).
Personally, I get the best results with flying geese when I press toward the small triangles while assembling the blocks. You may prefer to press the seams open–it’s up to you. But I find that it’s easier to see the seam intersection when the seams are pressed toward the small triangles, which makes it easier for me to make sure I’m not cutting the point off when I’m stitching blocks together.
That also means that when I sew flying geese together “beak to tail”, the seam between the blocks should be pressed away from the point for less bulk.
pinning
Put your flying geese block wrong sides together with whatever block you’re sewing it to. Put a fine pin through the point of the geese triangle (check the right side to make sure it’s on the point) and then straight through the other block, 1/4″ from the edge. Put a pin on each side of the first pin to keep the blocks from shifting.
stitching
If you can, keep the flying geese block on top when you’re ready to stitch the blocks together. Slow down as you approach the point. Adjust your seam allowance as needed to make sure you keep the needle just to the right of the point.
useful tools for flying geese blocks
marking
I like to use a 1/2″ wide ruler and a chalk pencil to mark the lines on the wrong side of the fabric for both the Stitch and Flip and No-Waste methods. For No-Waste, I line up the center line with the corners of the fabric and draw the seam lines on both sides.
trimming
There are lots of flying geese rulers out there, but the Wing Clipper I and II are my favorites because of their versatility–you don’t have to buy a separate ruler for every size that you want to make. Since flying geese blocks are so ubiquitous in my work, I found these rulers to be a worthwhile investment. Also, a rotating cutting mat speeds up the whole process.
