Country Roads

Four-at-a-Time No-Waste Flying Geese

Flying Geese Unit

Vervain patterns use this method whenever Flying Geese appear: four matching units from one large goose square and four small sky squares, with no stitch-and-flip waste. Finished geese are twice as wide as they are tall (for example 3" × 6").

1. From your cutting list, cut one large square (goose fabric) per batch of four geese: finished width + 1 1/4".
2. Cut four small squares (sky fabric) per batch: finished height + 7/8" each. When two sky colors are used, the list shows two small-square lines (two squares per color per batch).
3. Place two small squares on opposite corners of the large square, right sides together. Mark a diagonal through the small squares and sew a scant 1/4" on both sides of the line.
4. Cut on the marked line and press open—you will have two heart-shaped halves.
5. On each half, place a small square on the remaining open corner, mark the diagonal, sew a scant 1/4" on both sides, and cut on the line.
6. Press open and trim each unit to the unfinished size shown on your pattern (finished width + 1/2" by finished height + 1/2").

Pro tip: One batch always makes four geese; if your quilt needs fewer than four of the same size and colors, set aside the extras or plan another project—the cutting list batches up the same way as our HST optimizer.