Enter the finished height of your geese (the width is always twice the height) and how many you need. Choose the no-waste method, which makes four geese from one large square and four small ones, or stitch and flip, which makes one goose at a time from a rectangle and two squares.
Worked example: 8 geese that finish at 2 x 4 inches
8 flying geese, 4 x 2 in finished (4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in unfinished).
- No-waste, exact: body square = 4 + 1 1/4 = 5 1/4 in; wing squares = 2 + 7/8 = 2 7/8 in. Each set makes four geese, so cut 2 body squares and 8 wing squares.
- No-waste, oversized: body square 5 1/2 in and wing squares 3 1/8 in, then trim each goose to 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.
- Stitch and flip, exact: 8 rectangles of 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in and 16 wing squares of 2 1/2 in.
Result: 2 squares of 5 1/4 in and 8 squares of 2 7/8 in (no-waste, exact).
Flying geese formulas
- Finished width = 2 x finished height. Unfinished size = finished + 1/2 in each way.
- No-waste (four at a time), exact: body square = finished width + 1 1/4 in; four wing squares = finished height + 7/8 in. One set makes four geese.
- No-waste, oversized: body square = finished width + 1 1/2 in; wing squares = finished height + 1 1/8 in; trim to the unfinished size. This is the default in QuiltLab's block construction recipes.
- Stitch and flip, exact: body rectangle = (finished width + 1/2) x (finished height + 1/2); two wing squares = finished height + 1/2 in per goose.
- Stitch and flip, oversized: every starter piece 3/4 in larger than finished, then trim.
- No-waste sets = geese needed / 4, rounded up; extra geese are spares.
Assumptions
- Seam allowance is 1/4 in.
- Geese are 2:1 (twice as wide as tall), from 1 x 2 in finished upward.
- The no-waste method turns the body fabric four ways, so a one-way print will point in different directions. Stitch and flip keeps it upright.
- Every formula is checked in the test suite against a geometry simulation of the sewing and cutting, the same check QuiltLab uses for its block construction recipes. A simulation is not a sewn sample: make one test goose before cutting everything.
How to make no-waste flying geese (four at a time)
Make four 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in geese from one 5 1/2 in square and four 3 1/8 in squares.
- Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of each wing square.
- Lay two wing squares right side down on opposite corners of the body square, so the drawn lines form one continuous diagonal. The small squares overlap in the middle.
- Sew 1/4 in from the line on both sides, then cut on the line. Press the wing triangles open, away from the body fabric.
- On each half, lay one more wing square right side down in the remaining body corner, its drawn line running from that corner to the gap between the two wings.
- Sew 1/4 in from the line on both sides, cut on the line, and press the new wings open. You now have four geese.
- Trim each goose to 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in: line up the ruler's centre line with the point, lay its 45-degree lines along both wing seams, and keep 1/4 in of fabric above the point.
Frequently asked questions
What size squares do I need for no-waste flying geese?
For exact geese, cut one large square at the finished width + 1 1/4 in and four small squares at the finished height + 7/8 in. For 2 x 4 in geese that is one 5 1/4 in square and four 2 7/8 in squares, which make four geese.
Which flying geese method wastes the least fabric?
The no-waste (four at a time) method, as the name says: nothing is trimmed away when you cut exact. Stitch and flip cuts off two corner triangles per goose, though they can be sewn into bonus HSTs.
Should I make flying geese oversized?
If your points tend to get cut off, yes. Oversized starters give you room to trim each goose with the point centred and exactly 1/4 in below the top edge.
Can I use a directional print for the goose?
Use stitch and flip. The no-waste method makes each goose from a different edge of the big square, so a one-way print ends up facing four directions.