Electric Quilt (EQ8)
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Flying geese calculator: no-waste and one-at-a-time
Cut sizes, piece counts and yardage for flying geese units, using the no-waste four-at-a-time method or the classic flip-and-sew method.
The formulas
No-waste, four at a time: one large square = finished width + 1¼″ (goose fabric); four small squares = finished height + ⅞″ (background). Place two small squares on opposite corners of the large square, sew ¼″ each side of the diagonal, cut, add the remaining small squares, sew and cut again.
Classic, one at a time: one rectangle = (finished width + ½″) × (finished height + ½″) in goose fabric, and two squares = finished height + ½″ in background fabric. Sew the squares on the diagonal at each end and trim the corners.
Every goose is trimmed to finished width + ½″ by finished height + ½″.
How to use it
- Enter the finished width of one flying geese unit. Standard geese are twice as wide as they are tall, so the height is worked out for you.
- Enter how many geese you need.
- Choose the no-waste method (four geese at a time) or the classic method (one goose at a time).
- Cut the pieces listed for the goose fabric and the background (sky) fabric, sew and trim to the unfinished size.
Questions
What are the no-waste flying geese measurements?
Cut one large square of goose fabric 1 1/4 inches larger than the finished width, and four small squares of background fabric 7/8 inch larger than the finished height. One set makes four geese.
What size is a flying geese unit?
A standard flying geese unit is twice as wide as it is tall: for example 4 × 2 inches finished, or 4 1/2 × 2 1/2 inches before it is sewn into the quilt.
Which method should I use?
No-waste is faster and uses less fabric when you need several geese in the same fabrics. The one-at-a-time method uses a rectangle and two squares, is very accurate, and lets every goose have a different fabric.
Do I need to trim flying geese?
Trimming gives the most accurate result. Cut the no-waste squares about 1/8 inch larger, then trim each goose to the finished size plus 1/2 inch, keeping 1/4 inch above the tip of the goose.
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