A flying geese unit is one triangle with two smaller ones on either side of it, and it is always twice as wide as it is tall. That is the whole shape. What makes it worth a guide is that there are three sensible ways to sew one, the cutting numbers are different for each, and the thing everyone loses is the point.
What a flying geese unit is
The large triangle in the middle is the goose. The two smaller triangles either side are the sky, because they are what the goose is flying into. Those names are worth learning, because every pattern you will ever read uses them.
The unit finishes twice as wide as it is tall. A 2 by 4 inch finished unit measures 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches unfinished, and that half inch is the seam allowance, a quarter inch on every side.
There is one measurement that matters more than any other on this unit. When it is sewn and pressed, there should be a quarter inch of fabric between the tip of the goose and the raw edge above it. That quarter inch is where the next seam will run. Lose it and the point gets sewn off, which is the single most common complaint about this block.
Three methods, and when each one is worth it
Stitch and flip starts with a rectangle and two squares and gives you one unit at a time. It wastes a little fabric and it is the most forgiving of the three, because nothing you handle is cut on the bias. It is the method for scrappy geese, where every unit is different.
Four at a time starts with one large square and four small ones and gives you four identical units with nothing left over. It is the fastest when the geese are all the same two fabrics, and it is the method most patterns are written around.
Cut the triangles first starts with the same two squares as the four at a time method, but you cut them into triangles before you sew. It gives you the same four units and it puts the straight grain where you want it, at the cost of handling bias edges.
Yvonne makes the same unit two ways in the video below, stitch and flip against the traditional method, so you can watch the difference before you pick one.
Method one: stitch and flip, one goose at a time
Cut one rectangle the unfinished size of the unit, and two squares the height of that rectangle. For a unit that finishes at 2 by 4 inches, that is one rectangle at 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches and two squares at 2 1/2 inches.
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of both squares. Place the first square on one end of the rectangle, right sides together, with the line running from the bottom corner up to the middle of the top edge.
Here is the part that is easy to get wrong. Sew just to the outside of the drawn line, not on it. That sliver gives the fabric room to fold over. Sew exactly on the line and the square comes up a thread short when you press it, and you see the rectangle underneath.
Trim the excess behind the seam, then press towards the sky, every time, whether the sky is lighter or darker than the goose. Repeat on the other end with the second square, in the same direction. The two squares will overlap in the middle at the top, which is exactly what you want: that overlap is what leaves the quarter inch above the point.
Method two: four at a time, no waste
Cut one large square the finished long side plus 1 1/4 inches, and four small squares the finished short side plus 7/8 inch. For units that finish at 2 by 4 inches, that is one square at 5 1/4 inches and four at 2 7/8 inches.
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all four small squares. Place two of them on opposite corners of the large square, right sides down, so their drawn lines make one continuous line across the middle. They will overlap, and they are meant to.
Sew a quarter inch away on both sides of that line, then cut on the line. Press the two pieces open. Place a third small square on the corner of each piece, drawn line across, sew both sides again, cut on the line, and press. Four units, all the same, nothing wasted.
Two things make this method behave. Sew accurately, because flying geese are harder to trim than a half square triangle. And place the overlapping square underneath the first one, so the presser foot does not flip it up as it rides over the join.
Method three: cut the triangles first
This one uses the same two numbers as the method above. Cut the large square at the finished long side plus 1 1/4 inches and cut it twice diagonally, corner to corner both ways, which gives four goose triangles, the same cut that makes quarter square triangles. Cut the small squares at the finished short side plus 7/8 inch and cut each once diagonally, which gives two sky triangles each, the same cut that makes half square triangles.
The cutting is what makes this method different. Cutting the large square twice puts the straight grain along the long bottom edge of the goose, where it does the most good, and cutting the small squares once puts it along the outside edges of the unit.
The cost is that everything you now sew is a bias edge, so handle the pieces without pulling them. Offset the sky triangle so its point sticks up a quarter inch above the goose, start the seam in the little valley that offset makes, and the unit comes out square. Trim the dog ears as you go rather than at the end.
The flying geese size chart
Every number here is in inches. The first two columns are what to cut for the stitch and flip method, the next two are for the four at a time and cut the triangles methods, and the last is what the finished unit should measure before it goes into the quilt.
The two formulas behind the chart are worth remembering, because they cover any size you will ever need. For four at a time: large square is the finished long side plus 1 1/4 inches, small squares are the finished short side plus 7/8 inch. For stitch and flip: cut the rectangle and the squares at the finished size plus half an inch.
Stitch and flip
| Finished | Rectangle | Two squares |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x 2 | 1 1/2 x 2 1/2 | 1 1/2 |
| 1 1/2 x 3 | 2 x 3 1/2 | 2 |
| 2 x 4 | 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 | 2 1/2 |
| 2 1/2 x 5 | 3 x 5 1/2 | 3 |
| 3 x 6 | 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 | 3 1/2 |
| 3 1/2 x 7 | 4 x 7 1/2 | 4 |
| 4 x 8 | 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 | 4 1/2 |
| 5 x 10 | 5 1/2 x 10 1/2 | 5 1/2 |
Four at a time, and cutting the triangles
| Finished | Large square | Four squares |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x 2 | 3 1/4 | 1 7/8 |
| 1 1/2 x 3 | 4 1/4 | 2 3/8 |
| 2 x 4 | 5 1/4 | 2 7/8 |
| 2 1/2 x 5 | 6 1/4 | 3 3/8 |
| 3 x 6 | 7 1/4 | 3 7/8 |
| 3 1/2 x 7 | 8 1/4 | 4 3/8 |
| 4 x 8 | 9 1/4 | 4 7/8 |
| 5 x 10 | 11 1/4 | 5 7/8 |
Keeping the point
Every problem quilters report with flying geese is the point, and it is usually one of three things.
The seam allowance is wide. A quarter inch that is a thread too generous eats the quarter inch above the goose. Sew a scant quarter inch, which is one thread narrower than an exact one, and the point survives.
The unit was trimmed to size from the wrong edge. Trim from the point, not from the bottom. Line the quarter inch mark of your ruler up on the tip of the goose, then trim the top edge, and the point keeps its quarter inch by construction.
The seam crossing the point was sewn blind. When you join a flying geese unit to anything else, sew with the geese on top so you can see the X where the two seams cross. The needle should pass through the middle of that X.
Pressing, and which way
Press towards the sky. It is the default because it keeps the bulk out of the point, and because it sends the seams in a direction that nests when geese are stacked one above another, which is how they are most often used.
Pressing the seams open is the other honest answer, and it is what some quilters do when the unit is going into a busy block and the flatness matters more than the nesting. What you should not do is decide unit by unit. Pick one and hold it across the whole quilt.
Where flying geese turn up
Four geese pointing at each other in a two by two grid make a Dutchman's Puzzle. Four of them around a center square make a star, which is how the Ohio Star and most star blocks are built. They also sit inside blocks like the Goose in the Pond. A row of them all pointing the same way makes a border that leads the eye around a quilt, and a column of them makes a sashing strip with direction in it.
They also hide inside blocks that do not look like they have geese in them at all, which is worth knowing when you are reading a pattern and trying to work out how it is pieced.
Take the three methods with you
All three methods are drawn out on one sheet, with the size chart for both sets of numbers and the three fixes for the point. It prints on letter or A4, and nothing on it needs to print at actual size, because there are no templates in any of these methods.
The downloadable PDF is here: the flying geese block pattern sheet. It is free to print, use and teach.
Flying geese questions we are asked most
What size squares do I need for a 2 by 4 inch flying geese unit?
For the four at a time method, one square at 5 1/4 inches and four at 2 7/8 inches, which gives you four units. For stitch and flip, one rectangle at 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches and two squares at 2 1/2 inches, which gives you one.
What is the formula for flying geese?
Large square is the finished long side plus 1 1/4 inches. The four small squares are the finished short side plus 7/8 inch. Since the unit is always twice as wide as it is tall, knowing one side gives you the other.
Why do my flying geese lose their points?
Almost always a seam allowance that is a fraction wide, which eats the quarter inch that should sit above the point. Sew a scant quarter inch, trim from the point rather than the bottom edge, and sew the crossing seam with the geese on top so you can see the X.
Which method is the most accurate?
Four at a time, if you sew accurately, because nothing is cut on the bias until after the seams are sewn. Stitch and flip is the most forgiving of the three, and cutting the triangles first is the one that puts the grain where it belongs but asks you to handle bias.
Do flying geese have to be twice as wide as they are tall?
The classic unit is, and every chart assumes it. Units in other proportions exist and are usually made by the stitch and flip method with a rectangle cut to whatever size the pattern asks for.
Can I make flying geese from a jelly roll?
Yes. A 2 1/2 inch strip crosscut at 4 1/2 inches gives the rectangle for the stitch and flip method, and crosscut at 2 1/2 inches gives the two sky squares. That is a unit that finishes at 2 by 4 inches with no cutting beyond the crosscut.
Which way do I press flying geese?
Towards the sky, which keeps the bulk away from the point and nests when the units are stacked. Open is the other reasonable answer. Pick one and use it through the whole quilt.
How do I trim flying geese to size?
Trim from the point. Put the quarter inch mark of your ruler on the tip of the goose, trim the top edge first, then square up the other three sides to the unfinished size. Trimming from the bottom edge is what sews points off.
What to have ready
- Two quilting cottons that sit well apart in value, or a jelly roll and a background. Solids make the point easy to see while you are learning.
- A rotary cutter with a sharp blade and a mat. Blunt blades drag the layers, and on bias edges that shows.
- A square ruler for trimming, and something that keeps the quarter inch honest, such as our seam guide ruler.
- A marking pen for the diagonal lines, from notions. Every method starts with a drawn line or a cut line.
- An open toe foot if your machine came with one, for the stitch and flip method, where you are sewing on top of the fabric and need to see the line.
Where to start
Make four geese by the four at a time method before you decide anything about a quilt. Cut one square at 5 1/4 inches and four at 2 7/8 inches, and follow the four steps. Then measure them: each one should be 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches, with a quarter inch above the point.
If they are, every size in the chart will behave the same way. If they are not, you have learned it on four units instead of on forty.
Marbelia Fernandes
The Fabric Hut Co-Founder
P.S. If you are making a lot of geese from one pair of fabrics, cut all the large squares first and all the small ones second, and keep them in separate piles. Mixing the two at the machine is how a unit ends up with the sky in the middle.
