I Did It My Way

 Have you made the Migrating Geese pattern? It works well as a border, or in rows or columns. It's been in the back of my mind since I first saw a tutorial on YouTube, and I knew I wanted to make it. The thing is, all the video tutorials I found started with the "goose" sections in big squares. This seemed like such a great scrapbuster, but unless it's a novelty fabric I don't cut big squares from scraps. I cut most of my scraps into strips or small squares. I didn't want to cut up fat quarters or larger yardage to do this, I wanted to use my scraps.

I thought surely someone had made a tutorial for using a jelly roll, but I couldn't find one. I knew you could get the same effect by making regular Flying Geese units, then adding squares to the units, alternating right and left sides. The thing is, I really like the look of the big background triangles, and I didn't want all those extra seams. I knew there had to be a way to do it.

Because I need to get this rally quilt finished, I was working with the scraps of the fat quarters I used to make all those scooter blocks. I was originally planning on putting a checkerboard above and below the scooter blocks. I even started the checkerboard. The thing is, I need to make two scooter quilts with the same panel and the same scooter blocks, and I didn't want the same quilt filler on both quilts. I had come up with an idea of how I could make migrating geese using strips, so I put the checkerboard aside for now, and decided to use some scraps to see if I could make two rows of migrating geese for the rally quilt, and I can save the checkerboard for the next quilt. 

I started all those scooter blocks with one aged muslin fat quarter bundle and some solid white. I can't get any more of the same aged muslin, though I could get some in different colors. I didn't really want to buy any more fabric, so it's really a matter of making what I had work. I had cut a bunch of muslin left from the scooter blocks into 2" strips, and I hadn't used all the strips for the checkerboard yet. I just want a strip of migrating geese to go on top and bottom of the panel, then I'll put the scooter blocks above and below that. After I frame out the panel, it will be 45" wide (finished) and since my strips are 2" wide (1.5" finished) I needed 30 geese per row.

I had been thinking about this for a while, so I had a plan. I was going to try this using a jelly roll first, but now that I wanted it for the rally quilt, that wasn't going to work. I grabbed some men's shirt scraps and tried making a sample just to verify my idea would work. 

This was my first attempt, and I wasn't happy with it. Before I trashed it, I thought about why my points weren't pointy. I realized my scant 1/4" which usually gave me such great results, needed to be a full quarter inch instead. 

I started fiddling with my seam guide, and the next addition was better, but not quite right. I moved the guide a bit more, and the next was spot on! I had the right seam allowance set for this project!

Now, if you are a huge fan of no waste methods, you'll hate this one. BUT, I don't consider bonus triangles waste, since some of my favorite quilts have been made from them. 

Looking at the sample photos, I realized if I wanted to do the sew and flip method and get bonus HST's, the basic formula for making the strips was going to be the finished width of the strip times three plus a half inch seam allowance. If you don't like math, cut three squares from your strip. Sew two squares together, measure that, you'll need it in a minute, then add another square and measure that. I was using 2" cut strips, if you accurately sew 2 2" squares together, the result will be 3.5". add another square and you'll have 5". The formula I suggested uses finished sizes plus seam allowances. The finished size of 2" strips is 1.5" 1.5" x 3= 4.5" plus .5" seam allowance=5". The pieces I needed to cut from the strips was 5".

I said you'd need the measurements of two squares added together, and you do, that's the size of the background squares you need. So my background squares needed to be 3.5"! I like math, but I know a lot of quilters don't, so I'm trying to give an easy method of figuring out sizes for those of you who don't like math. I do plan on doing this using a jelly roll, and those strips are 2.5" wide. The logs for that would be 6.5", and the background squares would be 4.5"

I had the hardest time figuring out how to start and stop the column. I tried a couple different ways, and the method with the least amount of waste it to cut both a background and a colored piece the width of your strip x the width of your squares. I needed two 2" x 3.5" pieces, one colored, one white. 

To make that first log correctly, you need to line them up at right angles to each other, just like sewing binding. 

You can draw a line corner to corner, or use a specialty ruler. I was using my Folded Corner Clipper ruler by Prairie Sky Quilting. I just keep a small cutting mat on my sewing cabinet and cut off the corner right before I sew the seam. This ruler has the diagonal seam allowance built in, so you can just cut and sew. 

I forgot to take a photo of just the bottom log. Here I've already added the second log. Every time the top of your panel has all color, it's time to add a square.  I already have background to the left, so we need to add it to the right. 

Notice I'm now adding a square, which its the height of two logs sewn together. Again I'm using the Folded Corner Clipper, and after I make the cut, I'll be sewing both my main section, and the diagonal seam on my "waste".

Now I've got the first Goose finished, and half of the second one. I also have an interesting bonus HST. Looking at the top of our work, I see background, so it's time to add another colored log. 

There's only color at the top, so it's time to add a square. The last square went on the right, so the next square goes on the left. 

Can you see the migrating geese starting now? 

I realized another tip that's useful is know that it's easier to cut off those corners if you turn the strip.

Any time I'm adding a square to the right side, I have the bottom of the strip towards me.

If I'm adding a square to the left hand side, I put the bottom of my strip to the left. I suppose of you are left-handed, cutting would be easier doing the opposite. 

You just keep going until it's as long as you need. Adding a colored log when there's background at the top, and adding a square when it's all color at the top. When you get to the last log, you only need a background square the same size as your colored strips to do the last knocked off corner. 

The larger background squares would be wasted here. 

I never consider the bonus HST's waste, because I love using them. I made a pretty interesting block from 16 of them. In fact, now I'm wondering if I made borders with this method, if I could make all the blocks for the center from the bonus HST's. I'm sure I'd have to add sashing and cornerstones, and do some MATH, but I'm OK with that. That's an idea for another day!