newbie hive #5 block: flying geese

Since Purl Soho did their mini-quilt series last year I’ve wanted to do a full sized version of their July Flying Geese quilt in reds, whites and blues.  However, my resolution this year is to only buy the fabric I need to finish a project and use up more of my stash, so I wasn’t getting to make this one for a while.  But as soon as I joined the Newbie group I knew what I wanted for my month as Queen!  I love the possibilities of a red, white and blue quilt – the mix of solids and prints, and so many shades of red and blue – it just seems like the perfect thing for summer.

The following is for a 12.5 inch unfinished block.

Choose your Fabric A and Fabric B – any shade or print in red, white, and/or blue.

From Fabric A cut:

(4) 6.5 inches x 3.5 inches rectangles
(8) 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches squares

And from Fabric B cut:

(4) 6.5 inches x 3.5 inches rectangles
(8) 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches squares

First, take one square from Fabric B and place it right sides together on the left side of a rectangle from Fabric A.


To make sure your stitch line is accurate, you can draw a pencil or chalk line from corner to corner. Now sew on that pencil/chalk line (or very carefully down the diagonal of the square from the corner to the top-center of the rectangle).


Trim the seam to ¼”


...and press open.

We’re halfway done! Now sew a square to the other side of the rectangle.


Trim.....


and press open.


Repeat until all eight flying geese are done, sewing together the Fabric A squares with Fabric B rectangles and vice-versa.

Now to assemble the block, lay out the geese in two columns – Fabric A geese and Fabric B geese.


Sew the peices together either in columns or rows, but either way make sure to line up the point of the bottom rectangle with the center of the rectangle above it and pressing seams open as you go.

And you're done!


Now what should we call this? I’ve been playing with “Star-spangled Flock” or “Patriots on Parade” - any other ideas?