Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Tuesday Tool: Perfect Flying Geese

I know I'm always complaining about Flying Geese. This time, I think I've found the way to make perfect Geese!

This method combines three other methods/tools. The basic idea is the same as the "No Waste Method for Making Flying Geese Units." The earliest reference to "No-Waste Flying Geese" I could find was published in 2000 by Patti Anderson. She published an excellent reference chart for making geese in any size, here. [BTW, Patti, if you see this post, I'm sorry I couldn't find a way to contact you to ask permission to reference your tutorial.]

The second tool is new to me. It's the "Corner Cutter" tool from Perkins Dry Goods. This tool uses the same dimensions as the No-Waste method, with the addition of a clever little tool to cut off the corners of the "wings" before they are sewn to the "goose" square.


Step three uses my favorite square-up ruler from Bloc_Loc:


Here we go with step-by-step instructions for perfectly sized flying geese:

1. Cut one large and four small squares according to the size of the finished geese desired.


2. Draw a line corner to corner on each small square. Stack the four squares so all edges are even.


3. Place the corner cutter tool on top of the stack of four small squares. See the little line that reads "Align raw edge here? There's one on either side of the Corner Cutter.


4. With both of those lines aligned on the raw edges of the small squares, you'll cut off the perfect amount of the corners.

5. Cut off one only one corner on all four small squares.


6. Your stack of four squares will look like this:


7. Place the small squares on top of the large square with the chopped-off corners in the center.


8. Stitch a scant 1/4" seam on either side of the center line.


9. Cut on the center line.


10. Press the "wings" away from the larger piece. See where you chopped off the corner using the Corner Cutter Tool? That curtails the extra layers that are there in the No-Waste method.


11.  Press both "wings" away from the larger piece (goose).


 12. Place the remaining two small squares on top of the two larger geese that already have "wings."


13. Again, sew a scant 1/4" on either side of the line and cut on that line. Press the "wings" away from the "goose."


14. Now it's time for the Bloc_Loc Flying Geese Ruler. As do all Bloc_Loc rulers, the Flying Geese ruler has a groove on the bottom that "locks" over the seam allowance. Trim all four sides.


Here are two tiny Flying Geese. The smaller one is .75" by 1.5" finished, the larger is 1" by 2" finished.


Even this tiny, with the three-method trick, they're perfect!


Like my nail polish? It's "Jewell" by Zoya.


Come back tomorrow to see what I'm doing with those tiny Flying Geese!


From the desk of your auntmartisignature

3 comments:

  1. Gosh, would you believe I've never done flying geese except via the old-fashioned way my grandmother taught me more than 35 years ago?!? This will be fun to try...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the nail polish! I use Open Gates Fit to Be Geese ruler. Uses the trimming down method, very similar to block lock rulers, but can be used for more than one size flying goose (?) .

    ReplyDelete

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