March ?

Ruth M Sorensen Dutchman's Puzzle quilt  1930's  Machine pieced, hand quilted

This quilt was the inspiration for the Wild Geese Puzzle quilt.  It is look like pinwheel blocks, but is made from flying geese blocks. There are lots of methods for making the flying geese, but the easiest-with-least-waste follows.  The method is easy, and several people have written instructions for it, but the hardest part with most of the instructions is the math.  I think I've found the method with easiest computations.  The formulas are beside the pictures.

                                                                                     

                 


                                                    The math for making 4 flying geese at once:

 Cutting  Fabric A (the large center triangle)
           Cut 1 square the width (longest edge) of the finished block plus 1 ¼ inch.  For a 2x4” flying geese block:  4" + 1 ¼" = 5 ¼”

Cutting Fabric B: (the small triangles on either side of the large triangle)

                Cut 4 squares the height (shortest edge) of the finished block plus ⅞ inch.  For a 2 x4” finished flying geese block:  2 + ⅞”.

Risking confusion, it is only fair to tell you that until this week I've never thought of the center triangle in flying geese blocks as the sky with the two small triangles as the wings of the goose.

I'm in the midst of applique on my son's wedding quilt--only 4 months and 3 Hawaiian applique blocks to go.  My other project this week is the sample quilts for Pati's Send-It-Home shop in West Yellowstone.  Pictures later in the week.