KL's Moose Goose quilt-for CG

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.

Finished block picture

I realized I never added the 'finished' block picture (see below).

and here is a detailed photo or two of the stitching. Hope it helps...

Here is the finished block...

Something new... at least for me! Tutorial

This is a "3-D curved flying geese" Tutorial. I'm not sure if there is a technical name for it, but that's MY name for it. I saw it at the Greater Hartford Quilt Guild's Sharing Day event and was bowled over by the creativeness and the possibilities!!

I started my 'test block' with 3" wide strips (just because I can never think of what else to do with 3" strips).

I cut two 3" x 3" peach squares and the black (geese) was cut 3" x 5.5" (you'll see why it wasn't cut 3" x 6" in a minute). You can make your geese any size, just remember to cut the 'folded' goose 1/2" shorter than twice the size of your 'squares'.

I folded the black rectangle in half- wrong sides together, which made it a 1/4" shorter when laid on the 3" x 3" square. Put the other 3" x 3" sq on top, right side of fabric down. (the squares will always be right sides together with the goose -right sides out-sandwiched in-between).

Sew down the SIDE of the block so it looks like this when opened.

Press the top square open and press the 'fold' into the black so when you open the folded black fabric, the crease stays like this

Line up the raw edges of the black to the raw edges on the bottom of the peach squares so they match like this

then press flat (the two top edges of the geese are really folded)

Now comes the fun part....

Fold the top edges to see what you will get for a 'look', but don't sew them just yet.

Here is my second 'set' of flying geese, since I wanted to give it a different look. It's only laid out on my cutting mat as a test (large black square was under the main black and white block, so it looks like small black squares, but decided not to get to 'tricky' on the first test block, just yet)

This is how I chose to finish off the block, as far as colors, but it isn't done yet!

Here is the final block, with only the bottom edge and the right-hand side (black geese only) folded back and sewn)...

The one thing you must know in sewing this curve.... when you get to sew 2/3 of the 'arch' in the goose, stop your machine- needle down- and roll back the next curve (other wing) so the 'points' overlap, then keep sewing up to the point-- stop, needle down-- then turn and follow the second wing's curve. I also 'curved the peach wings under the black wings, along with the single peach triangles that went off the the side of the geese (I just added that for unique-ness).

Hope this makes perfect sense to you and you all try this.... I was so excited after this event, I had all my geese made within hours of being home, just not sure of the final design.

Sliced & Diced Tutorial

I had this idea to put together two squares, make them into two half-square triangles and then slice them, rearrange them, then sew them back together and see what I get. Of course, I realized that I had to add another 'strip' to make it a square again, but I figured if it came out ok, then I'd take pictures of what I did and post them.... Enjoy the tutorial.

3-D Flying Geese Tutorial

One of the great things about the GHQG Sharing Day event (see post below), is learning new techniques. One of which I'll try to post a tutorial for... 3-D Flying Geese. There was no copyright on the handout, so if anyone sees there is an infringement, please alert me and I'll remove the 'instruction sheet". Hopefully, you can read this sheet. I'll explain it as I go along. First, you figure what size you want the flying geese block (I picked a 4" x 8" rectangle-blue w/ stars-, although I should have added my 1/2" for the seam allowances to make it 4.5" x 8.5"). Too excited to try this technique! But whatever size you use, make 2 squares that are the same width as the rectangles width (I made mine 4" squares - orange/yellow stripes) Fold your rectangle in half, wrong sides together. Put the two squares right sides together, then lay the folded rectangle between them, lining up the raw edges, putting the fold at the top. The folded edge of the rectangle should be 1/4" down from the top of the two squares. (You'll see why at the end.) Be careful with directional prints to make sure they are going in the same direcion. The fold should be 1/4" down from the top of the 'sandwich'. Very important. Sew on the right side of the 'sandwich', encasing the folded fabric's RAW EDGES in the seam. Open the 'sandwich' and press the top fabric, then open the 'rectangle' and press to flatten. See below. Now, what I didn't check on (I was sooo anxious to try this out when I got home), was that the 'fold' of the fabric (which will be the point of the geese) was 1/4" BELOW the raw edge of the two squares! As you can see, my point was too close to the top and will get cut off in the top seam. Which also led the bottom to be too high on the front edge. I will be off to the sewing room to 'fine tune' my technique... This was the first of many geese to come.