Make Your Quilts Take Wing!
Presented to Appleseed Quilters Guild, Fort Wayne, Indiana
by Joyce Triezenberg, May 2007
 updated 9/14/07

  1. What is the Flying Geese unit?
    1. A quarter-square triangle flanked by two half-square triangles forming a rectangle twice as wide as it is tall.
    2. History of the motif
      1. Appears in ancient tile work
      2. Appears in European, Asian, Native American and African art
      3. Used in Early American quilts
    1. Why is it popular?
      1. Directs the eye
      2. Simple to execute
      3. Can use up small scraps
  1. EQ6 Examples of blocks and quilts
  1. Pictures of quilts using the Flying Geese unit
    Hint: search for "flying geese" to see samples and rulers
    1. Jinny Beyer   www.jinnybeyer.com/quilts/kits.cfm
    2. Norah McMeeking   www.bellabellaquilts.com/home.html
    3. Eleanor Burns   www.quiltinaday.com/
    4. Gail Garber   www.gailgarberdesigns.com/GGgallery.html
    5. Caryl Bryer Fallert    www.bryerpatch.com/gallery/gallery.htm
    6. Jacqueline de Jonge   home.casema.nl/becolourful/ click on "Mijn quilts"
    7. Judy Mathieson   members.aol.com/judy4quilt/
  1. Methods for making the units:
    1. Template method
    2. Strip cut piecing method from Kaye Woods:   www.kayewood.com/articles/flyinggeese.html
    3. Flip and sew method
    4. Square in a square method from Quilters’ Cache and others:   www.quilterscache.com/H/Howtomakegeese.html
    5. Square on a square from Eleanor Burns:   www.quiltinaday.com/television/video-flyinggeeseruler.asp
    6. Quick Piece Flying Geese   www.quilterbydesign.com/lessons/flyinggeese.html
    7. Paper/foundation piecing
  1. Web links of interest
    1. Caryl Bryer Fallert’s "Flying Geese in a Circle" free pattern   www.bryerpatch.com/pattern/pattern.htm
    2. Eleanor Burns video demonstration    www.quiltinaday.com/television/video-flyinggeeseruler.asp
    3. Quilter’s Cache explanations: www.quilterscache.com/H/Howtomakegeese.html
    4. Quick Piece Flying Geese   www.quilterbydesign.com/lessons/flyinggeese.html
    5. Debbie Kratovil   www.quilterbydesign.com/lessons2.html
    6. Kaye Wood   www.lazygirldesigns.com/books.php
    7. Kaye Wood   www.kayewoodtv.com/ktv.html Click on "Browse Video List" then scroll down to "Flying Geese with Joan Hawley"
    8. Kaye Wood   www.kayewood.com/articles/flyinggeese.html
    9. images.scrippsweb.com/HGTV/2006/01/03/qlt1138_Peony.pdf
    10. quiltingpassion.com/tutorials/geese/DoubleSquareMethod.html
    11. lifesaquilt.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-favorite-flying-geese-technique_24.html
    12. Fons & Porter   www.fonsandporter.com/fp/onlineextras/seweasy/fgeese.asp
    13. Fons & Porter Video   www.fonsandporter.com/fp/ourvideos/rulers/fpr7846.asp
  1. Books about Flying Geese
    1. All the Blocks Are Geese: Flying Geese-the Fast Way (Paperback) Mary Sue Suit
    2. Flying Geese Quilt in a Day Eleanor Burns
    3. Stellar Journeys: Flying Geese & Star Quilts Gail Garber
    4. Fast Flying Geese Quilts K. Hellaby
    5. Flying Geese and More Joan Hawley
  1. Show and Tell your Flying Geese Quilts
  2. Square on a Square Cutting Chart

 

Squares On a Square Method

Finished Size

Cut 4 squares

Cut 1 square

1/2 x 1

1 3/8

2 1/4

3/4 x 1 1/2

1 3/4

3 3/4

1 x 2

1 7/8

3 1/4

1 1/2 x 3

2 3/8

4 1/4

2 x 4

2 7/8

5 1/4

2 1/2 x 5

3 3/8

6 1/4

3 x 6

3 7/8

7 1/4

3 1/2 x 7

4 3/8

8 1/4

4 x 8

4 7/8

9 1/4