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Flying Geese

A classic rectangular quilt unit made with one center triangle, called the goose, and two side triangles, called the sky. Flying Geese are often used in stars, borders, rows, and traditional sampler quilts.

IntermediateConfident BeginnerTraditionalTrianglesNo-Waste Method

Why quilters love the Flying Geese

Adds movement and direction to quilt designs
Used in many traditional star blocks
Works beautifully in borders and rows
Great skill-builder after basic squares and HSTs
Can be made with several methods depending on preference

Construction at a glance

What you'll work with

Rectangles and squares for stitch-and-flip
Diagonal seams
Bias edges inside the unit
Careful trimming
No templates required for the beginner method

Flying Geese units are usually twice as wide as they are tall. For example, a 3" x 6" finished unit measures 3.5" x 6.5" unfinished.

Common finished sizes

2" x 4"
3" x 6"
4" x 8"

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Cutting guide

For one 3" x 6" Finished Unit (Stitch-and-Flip)

1 goose rectangle at 3.5" x 6.5"
2 sky squares at 3.5" x 3.5"

The completed unit should measure 3.5" x 6.5" before it is sewn into a quilt.

Beginner Note: Stitch-and-flip creates some fabric waste, but it is easy to understand and works well for learning.

How to sew the Flying Geese

1
Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each sky square.
2
Place one sky square on one end of the goose rectangle, right sides together.
3
Sew directly on the drawn line.
4
Trim the outer corner, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
5
Press the sky triangle open.
6
Place the second sky square on the opposite end of the rectangle.
7
Sew on the drawn line, trim, and press open.
8
Check that the unit measures 3.5" x 6.5" unfinished.
9
Make sure the goose point sits 1/4" from the top edge so it will not be cut off when sewn into another block.

Accuracy tips

Draw thin, accurate diagonal lines
Sew directly on the marked line
Press carefully without stretching bias edges
Check the unfinished size before using the unit
Keep 1/4" of fabric above the goose point
Use a scant seam if points are consistently getting cut off

Common mistakes

Point Gets Cut Off: The goose point may be too close to the edge, or the next seam may be too wide.
Unit Is Too Small: The diagonal seam may have been sewn inside the marked line, or the unit may have been trimmed too aggressively.
Sky Corners Look Uneven: The sky squares may have shifted while sewing.
Unit Looks Wavy: Bias edges may have stretched during pressing.

Fabric ideas

High contrast goose and sky fabrics
Scrappy geese with a consistent background
Low-volume sky fabrics
Seasonal prints
Rows of geese in gradient colors
Traditional navy, cream, red, gold, or green palettes

Variations

No-waste Flying Geese
Four-at-a-time Flying Geese
Foundation paper pieced Flying Geese
Migrating Geese
Flying Geese borders
Flying Geese star points

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