- Background (muslin)
- Medium (goldenrod)
- Dark (indigo)
- Accent (madder red)
Block No. 08 · Flying geese
Flying Geese Quilt Block
Also known as Wild Goose Chase (two-column variation), Geese in Flight
Part of: Flying Geese Quilt BlocksQuilt Blocks For Beginners
The Flying Geese quilt block pattern repeats triangular units that suggest birds in flight. These traditional units also appear as borders and as building blocks for many pieced stars; this version places them in two opposing columns.
Version note: This is the two-column geese version. The distinct diagonal, center-diamond Wild Goose Chase has its own pattern page.
- Level
- Confident Beginner
- Grid
- 4 × 4
- Pieces
- 24
Chart
Cutting for a 12" block
4 × 4 grid. All cuts fall on 1/8" ruler marks. Unfinished block: 12 1/2".
| Fabric | Shape | Cut | Size | Then | Pieces used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Half-square triangle | 8 | 3 7/8" square | Cut once diagonally (2 triangles each) | 16 |
| Medium | Quarter-square triangle | 1 | 7 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 22 spare |
| Dark | Quarter-square triangle | 1 | 7 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 4 |
| Accent | Quarter-square triangle | 1 | 7 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 22 spare |
Method
Piecing steps
Step 1: Cut 1 dark, 1 medium and 1 accent quarter-square triangle parent and cut each twice on the diagonal. Each square gives 4 goose triangles: you need 4 dark, 2 medium and 2 accent, so 2 medium and 2 accent are spare.
Step 2: Cut 8 background half-square triangle parents and cut once on the diagonal for 16 sky triangles.
Step 3: Sew a sky triangle to each short side of every goose triangle, pressing toward the sky. Make 8 geese and trim each to 6 1/2" by 3 1/2".
Step 4: Left column: stack 4 geese pointing up, alternating dark and medium. Right column: stack 4 geese pointing down, alternating accent and dark.
Step 5: Sew each column, pinning so the stitching passes just above each goose tip to keep the points sharp. Each column measures 6 1/2" by 12 1/2".
Step 6: Sew the two columns together. The block should measure 12 1/2". Use the leftover triangles for a matching test goose.