Flying Geese Chart
Cut sizes for every standard flying geese unit, both methods side by side. Geese are listed by finished width, at the traditional two-to-one ratio.
No-waste: large square = width + 1 1/4", four small = height + 7/8" · Stitch & flip: rectangle = (width + 1/2") × (height + 1/2")
Flying Geese Chart
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| Finished | Unfinished | No-waste: 1 large | No-waste: 4 small | Flip: rectangle | Flip: 2 squares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2" × 1" | 2 1/2" × 1 1/2" | 3 1/4" | 1 7/8" | 2 1/2" × 1 1/2" | 1 1/2" |
| 3" × 1 1/2" | 3 1/2" × 2" | 4 1/4" | 2 3/8" | 3 1/2" × 2" | 2" |
| 4" × 2" | 4 1/2" × 2 1/2" | 5 1/4" | 2 7/8" | 4 1/2" × 2 1/2" | 2 1/2" |
| 5" × 2 1/2" | 5 1/2" × 3" | 6 1/4" | 3 3/8" | 5 1/2" × 3" | 3" |
| 6" × 3" | 6 1/2" × 3 1/2" | 7 1/4" | 3 7/8" | 6 1/2" × 3 1/2" | 3 1/2" |
| 7" × 3 1/2" | 7 1/2" × 4" | 8 1/4" | 4 3/8" | 7 1/2" × 4" | 4" |
| 8" × 4" | 8 1/2" × 4 1/2" | 9 1/4" | 4 7/8" | 8 1/2" × 4 1/2" | 4 1/2" |
| 9" × 4 1/2" | 9 1/2" × 5" | 10 1/4" | 5 3/8" | 9 1/2" × 5" | 5" |
| 10" × 5" | 10 1/2" × 5 1/2" | 11 1/4" | 5 7/8" | 10 1/2" × 5 1/2" | 5 1/2" |
| 12" × 6" | 12 1/2" × 6 1/2" | 13 1/4" | 6 7/8" | 12 1/2" × 6 1/2" | 6 1/2" |
1/4" seam allowance throughout. One large square plus four small squares yield four geese by the no-waste method; one rectangle plus two squares yield a single goose by stitch and flip.
How to read the flying geese chart
Geese are named width first: a "4 by 2" goose finishes 4" across and 2" tall, and every size on this chart keeps that two-to-one shape. Find your finished size in the first column, then read across to whichever method you are using.
No-waste, four at a time
Cut one large square from the goose fabric and four small squares from the sky fabric. Place two small squares on opposite corners of the large one, right sides together and slightly overlapping, draw a line through both, sew a quarter inch on each side, and cut on the line. Press the small triangles out, add one small square to the corner of each half, sew and cut again. Four geese, nothing trimmed away.
Traditional stitch and flip
Cut one rectangle at the finished size plus a half inch each way, andtwo squares at the finished height plus a half inch. Lay one square on one end of the rectangle, sew corner to corner, trim the excess and press. Repeat on the other end. One goose per rectangle, with two trimmed-off corners you can keep for a scrappy project.
The point that gets cut off
The tip of the goose should sit a quarter inch below the raw edge of the unit — that quarter inch is what the next seam consumes. If your points are being clipped, the unit is coming out undersized rather than the formula being wrong; press seams flat and check the unfinished measurement in column two before you sew rows together.
Common questions
What size squares do I cut for no-waste flying geese?
One large square at the finished width plus 1 1/4", and four small squares at the finished height plus 7/8". That set makes four geese with nothing trimmed away. A 4" x 2" finished goose needs one 5 1/4" square and four 2 7/8" squares.
What is the unfinished size of a flying geese unit?
Half an inch larger in both directions — a quarter-inch seam allowance on each side. A 6" x 3" finished goose is 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" before it is sewn in.
Are flying geese always twice as wide as they are tall?
Traditionally yes, and every size on this chart follows that 2:1 ratio. The formulas work for any proportion though — width plus 1 1/4" for the large square, height plus 7/8" for the small ones.
No-waste or stitch and flip?
No-waste makes four geese at once from five squares with nothing left over, which is why most modern patterns use it. Stitch and flip makes one goose at a time from a rectangle and two squares, wastes the trimmed corners, but is easier to control when you only need a few.
Related
- Flying geese calculator — any width and height, with the quantity you need.
- Flying geese math, explained — where 1 1/4" and 7/8" come from.
- Half-square triangle chart and quarter-square triangle chart.
Not on the chart?
Sashing sizes geese at any ratio you like, not just two-to-one, and works out the yardage for the goose and the sky separately.
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