Lori Holt has a section in her Scrappiness Is Happiness book that teaches her short cut methods for making flying geese, half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles and square-in-a-square. The technique for some units involve making them larger, then cutting them down. However, the process she uses for making flying geese is not designed in this fashion. The cutting instructions provided in the book yield the exact size unit you need for whatever the block pattern requires.
Week
13’s block for the Scrappiness Is Happiness QAL is Lori’s Shortcut Star
Block. I followed the instructions in
the book and produced the most hideous looking block I’ve made since I began my
quilting journey.
The flying geese are too small. My seam allowance hasn't changed, it is the same for all the blocks I've constructed so far. I just do not think Lori's method works for me.
I
remembered my friend Gene Black has a YouTube video on how to
make flying geese where you cut the unit down after piecing it together. See his video here.
I
completely remade the block using Gene's method and with great success. It measures exactly 10 ½”, which is correct.
Then
I recalled picking up a couple of project boxes from our storage unit when I
was in Florida recently. Guess what?!?
Yup,
this one is almost six years old! I was beginning to make what Gene calls
flying stars. They are sawtooth stars
made with flying geese units.
The
fabrics are some leftover Bonnie & Camille called Miss Kate. Looks like
there are several blocks already cut out and ready for a night of steady chain-piecing.
I
did find one block that clearly doesn’t measure up and will find its way into
the quilt backing.
Hope
everyone is having a great week so far.
We were forecast for snow, but alas, no more ☹
See
you soon…