Thea's Star - QCE BOM Tutorial

Here is the tutuorial I promised you for this month's block - named after myself, since I couldn't find anything exactly like it in any of my reference books.  This is a 12" finished size block - a basic 9 patch!
(This is intended to be a baby/child quilt for a special new arrival.)

This easy 9 patch block will use the ‘Fast Flying Geese’ method found on page 76 of Georgia Bonesteel’s EASY DOES IT QUILTS.  Or the online version that was distributed last year: 

http://www.patchpieces.com/files/flyinggeese.pdf

Or this more detailed tutorial:

 http://piecefulkwilter.blogspot.com/2010/02/no-waste-flying-geese-tutorial.html

Every quilter has favorite methods for making simple pieced units. Flying Geese are also known as FG’s. This block will use 4” x 2” finished size FG units, strip piecing, and five plain 4 ½” squares.

Each block kit contains: Two strips of pink and a strip of red for the strippy units, Four small green squares and a large red square for the flying geese, and five 4 1/2” squares, (1 green & 4 pink)

Sort the pieces – set the 4 ½” sqs aside for now.

Check your ¼” seam before starting.  (Remember - the lines on an index card are 1/4" apart.)


Sew the pink strips on either side of the red strip – press the pink toward the red. This should measure 4 ½” x 10”. Cut this into FOUR 2 ½”.sections and set them aside.

Now, make the FG (Flying Geese) units.  You can use whichever method you prefer - the kit uses the method referenced in the links above.  If you need it, here are my step-by-step pics...

Line up two of the small squares on opposite corners of the lager square:

draw a light pencil line across small squares corner to corner, sew 1/4" away from BOTH SIDES of this line - then cut on the line.

Press toward the 'dark' or larger triangles (formerly the square)

 Now you will have pieces that look like this:

Add the other two squares, also with lines drawn on the diagonal, and sew on both sides of those lines.  I recommend using a scrap 'leader' so the points don't get jammed into the needle hole and cause a nasty ole' thread nest..... which is what happended to me just after I snapped this picture!

 chain piece both sections at once - or more if you are making a lot of blocks at a time.

 Then cut these apart on the line and press the seam allowance in the opposite direction.

 At this point, you might want to check the size -- mine sometimes stretch a bit and need a little trim.  Yours might, too!

Now join the geese to the strip pieced section to make the arrows.

I recommend using a skewer to guide the seam intersection directly under the needle so you get a nice sharp point on that goosey beak!

 
Now you are ready to join the 9 pieces together into the block.
Join the sections together to make the block:

wrong side, showing seam alignment

wrong side, showing seam alignment

Notice seams going in opposing directions?

Join seams with points of geese facing up so you can see the points as you sew.  Again, use the skewer to guide the seam intersection directly under the needle.

Here's what it would look like done with 12 blocks, straight set:

and here's the same block set on point this time with 13 blocks:

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Drop a note and let me know how you like this block / quilt.

All quilts designed inEQ7 by Thea McCurry (c) 2011