I'm making a "Moose Goose" quilt (not sure the name will stay) for a 15-yr old girl with brain cancer. She's on a Yahoo group that I belong to and she likes the color red and moose. I found the moose fabric in Auburn MA at Appletree fabrics on Rte 20, and figured if I got a red dark enough, and a cream, they'd go together pretty well (there's cream in the moose strips).
I cut the strips apart (you'll see the narrower strip in the last photos) and tried to figure what to do with the cream and red. I thought Flying Geese would be appropriate since the are on the narrow strip. I'm cutting the flying geese as 3-D as I may want to "scallop" them. I also thought maybe some large 4-patches could be made and I know a method that makes them fast.
Here are the photos of my 4-patches.
I make them with two long WOF (width of fabric) strips, sewn together (right sides tog), and since I'm using different creams and reds, I cut them into twice the size I need before I flip them. For this quilt the narrow strips are 4" wide. So I cut my strips of cream 2.25" wide and my reds 2.25" also. Once they are in the 'two-color' strip set, I cut the sections at 4.5" (I'll explain shortly).
If I double the width and use that measurement for the length, then I can sew both the left and right edges for my 1/4" seam (open at top and bottom), then take my ruler vertically and cut in half at 2.25" . This will give me both pieces to sew together. The nice thing is that if you cut the section a little short/crooked on one piece, you can sew a 1/4" from the edge of the full set and it's still gonna give you your correct 4-patch. (This doesn't work if you really hack off a chunk short... be real, guys,lol).
Because I'm using an unusual size for my 4-patch, I have leftovers from the strip sets and such that I'm keeping. I'll figure out what I can do with them later.
Because the strip of moose fabric is 6.75" wide, I tried to figure a way to make the geese to fit. Since my math isn't great (it used to be good before menopause), I figured I can cut the cream squares to be cut at 3.75" sq. I also have the 3-d flying geese set up so I can fold the red fabric, cut to 3.75" x 7", in half, with the fold at the top of the cream square (matching three raw edges), then lay the other cream square on the red. I sew down one side (doesn't matter which-left or right), as long as the fold is at the top or bottom. And yes, that fold is 1.4" from the top edge! (That's what gives you your 1/4" seam at the point.
Once sewn, they are pressed open then open up the folded red and lay out matching the fold line to the center seam of the cream squares. Here they are finished.
I saved a few 4-patches to use in the corners and the narrow strip I've decided to use as a border...Not bad.....!
Close-up of the corner. Here's the quilt on the design board. I had to take a picture so I can remember where the geese are flying to.
I already have great fabric for the backing and a choice of two fabrics for the binding. (I'll making bindings from both fabrics, since I can always use them for other quilts.
Once sewn, they are pressed open then open up the folded red and lay out matching the fold line to the center seam of the cream squares. Here they are finished.
Close-up of the corner. Here's the quilt on the design board. I had to take a picture so I can remember where the geese are flying to.
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