Day 3 already! I'm always surprised by how quickly time seems to pass in December, especially when I really would prefer that it sloooow down. Funny how that works :).
Today we'll be making half-square triangles and flying geese units. We're making quite a few flying geese units, 36 to be exact, so I thought it would be best to post this pattern on a Friday to give us an extra day to finish them.
Here's the link to today's pattern sheet.
To save a bit of time (and fabric), we'll be using a no-waste (i.e. no trimming), fast, 4-at-a-time method for our flying geese, rather than the traditional stitch-and-flip method.
If you like this method, the math is pretty easy to remember for future use. For the goose (or larger center triangle) of your flying geese unit, you'll need a square that's 1¼" larger than the finished width of your flying geese unit. For the sky (or smaller triangles) on the either side of the unit, you'll need four squares that are ⅞" larger than the finished height of your flying geese unit. Our flying geese will finish (not including seam allowances) at 1½" x 3", so we need our larger square to measure 4¼" and our four smaller squares to measure 2⅜".
Today's pattern sheet contains complete instructions and diagrams for making the flying geese using this method so I won't repeat them here. I will, however, caution you to be very careful and precise with your scant ¼" seam allowance. A scant ¼" seam allowance is 2-3 threads narrower than an actual ¼" seam allowance. This allows for the math to work despite the extra seam allowance width that can result when pressing the seam open (because of fabric bulk). When marking your sewing lines on either side of the cutting line (Making the Flying Geese - Step 1 on the pattern sheet) be sure to take into consideration your ruler and even the width of the pencil lead. If the line is a perfect ¼" away from the cutting line, your flying geese will end up ever so slightly too small. Instead try to draw your stitching lines in between the ⅛" and ¼" lines on your ruler from the center cutting line. Then be sure to sew directly on the line. Careful marking in the beginning can save you a lot of frustration when you assemble your quilts later. I've learned this the hard way!
And that'll do it for today!
Have fun—remember this is fun!!!—making your half-square triangles and flying geese and enjoy your weekend! I'll see you back here on Monday for Day 4!
Happy Quilting!
—jen
