Flying Geese Ideas
I wanted to share a couple quilts I’ve found in blog-land and another one of mine that use flying geese that stuck to give you some ideas about the possibilities of our simple Trio of Geese blocks.
Anne Marie Horner’s Quilt
I found this one on Anne Marie Horner’s blog. I like how the solid fabrics are used to create some space between the flying geese … and, of course, those tassels 😉
If you like this arrangement and win the geese lotto blocks, remember, once you win them, they are yours to use as you like and IT IS OK if you decide you want to separate the trios and use the flying geese units in different arrangements or blocks. For example, you might decide to de-construct them and make scrappy Dutchman’s Puzzle blocks–here’s one Julie made for the block lotto in November, 2006.
Instead of two colors, you could make the Flying Dutchman blocks in two VALUES.
In the next quilt, the blocks are used in a straight setting, but I thought the arrangement was different and interesting.
I found this one on the Fun with Barb blog.
If you paired up our lotto blocks, for an arrangement like this you would be working with 9 by 12 inch rectangular blocks. I think our light-medium-dark arrangement of geese would really a certain something to this arrangement.
The next example is another of my scrappy quilts. It was made from the too few comfort blocks I received when my dad died. I wanted to honor the people who DID find the time just before Christmas to send me a little comfort, so I added some orphan blocks to the center and a border of flying geese.
If you have some orphan blocks at your house, think of mixing them up with our scrappy geese for a Kitchen Sink style quilt.
I didn’t make a note of the quilt makers for the next two quilts two–if they are yours or you recognize them, let me know.
In both, the flying geese surround plain squares or fabrics.
You could turn our blocks into an arrangement like this one, by adding 9 inch squares (cut at 9 1/2 inches) and 6 inch square-in-a-square blocks. It’s an on-point setting which will also need setting triangles. Although I think the border fabric is actually a single fabric, you could add to the scrappiness by piecing your own scrappy striped border fabric like I did for my scrappy geese quilt.
In the last quilt, blocks are constructed from a center square, 4 groups of flying geese and triangles. If you used our Trio of Geese blocks to make a similar basic block, the proportions would be different, but the overall effect would be the same.
Weekend Update – May Flowers?
Is it Spring yet? I saw these beautiful tulips on Edita Sithar’s blog and couldn’t help but wonder why it’s tulip time in Michigan and … 25 degrees (F) here. Like my cats, all I really want to do is curl up under a quilt until it starts acting like spring again.
What have you been up to this week? What do you planned for the weekend? Please share a link with us.
Whoopee!
Wow, can’t believe I won some of these blocks. I only had a chance to make one this month and plus, I just won a couple months ago, so I figured there was no likelihood at all. But I have to say, I’m so thrilled. For one thing, I love this block and have been hoping to have time to make some for myself – now I won’t have to (might need to make a few to even out the numbers but not a whole quilt worth). For another thing, it’s lovely to have something fun and unexpected to add to my April, as there have been a few tough things – my MIL died last week, and while it was not unexpected due to her age and extremely poor health, you can imagine it’s had an effect on the family. In fact, we only got back today from Leicester, for the funeral and so forth and I’m so shattered I almost went to bed without reading my email – glad I didn’t.
Anyway. I digress. But I’m really looking forward to seeing all the blocks arrive, even more than last time, because I think the birds will be so individual and full of character.
And let this be a lesson to all of you, and potential players – it only takes one entry to wi!
The bird block winners are…..
Gail gets 44 blocks
Kathleen gets 44 blocks
Kim also gets 44 blocks
and Kate gets 43 blocks.
Congratulations all!
Ginny
A Good Use for Rectangle Blocks
Megan emailed me to share how she used this month’s Bird Block to make a couple flags (and made some more for a future project of her own).
These were made for To Boston with Love, an effort organized by the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild which has caught fire across the blogiverse.
The dimensions are slightly shorter than our 6 by 9-inch blocks, but I think a couple would make great candidates for this effort.
You can find more information about the prayer flags for Boston on the VMQG site.
Love Those Birds!!!!!!
I wasn’t kidding when I said I lovd those birds!!! Got carried away and made these, plus the 9 I entered in the Lotto!!! Still hoping to win more……like I told Sophie, I’m just being greedy!!!! Lol!!!
Block Lotto Inspiration
I am the comfort quilt coordinator for our guild, and we put together fabric kits for our members to make charity quilts. I am always on the lookout for simple patterns which utilize the donated fabric we receive. One of my favorite sources of fabric are the sales samples which a local fabric representative gives us at the end of each season. Using the disappearing four patch pattern from the March, 2011 block lotto, and starting with forty eight 8″ squares, members create a great throw-size comfort quilt. Many of the ladies love this pattern and have dug into their own stash to create more comfort quilts. A win-win! As I was sorting through this year’s quilts to prepare for our delivery to the Hole in the Wall camp, I hung up six different quilts using this pattern. We will be delivering about 175 quilts to the camp in May, and each of the 1,000 + campers each summer will take home the quilt on their camp bed as a memento. 
Thanks, Sophie for providing great inspiration and instructions!
Weekend Update – Last Weekend in April
It’s time for the weekend update. Please share a link from your blog–quilting related or not.
Yesterday, I pieced some wide scrappy striped made fabric for border for a scrap quilt–the borders are on and I’d like to spend the weekend quilting it, but the temperatures are up and it feels like spring again and I want to explore. Maybe I’ll find a way to do enough of both things or maybe I’ll toss a coin … how about you?
Weekend Update – What have YOU been up to this week?
It’s time again for the weekend update.
Please use the linky tool to share something from your blog. A new project? A finished project? Snow where there should be spring flowers at home? (It was 16 degrees last night in Santa Fe … not exactly my idea of spring weather.) Are you quilting? gardening? something else?
Weekend Update: Where Do Your Quilts Go?
I laugh at myself whenever I walk into my bedroom. It’s more than obvious … a quilter sleeps here.
A quilter sleeps here
This month’s topic for weekend update asks the question:
What happens to the quilts you make? Do you use the quilts you make on your beds, hang them on your walls, decorate your table? Do you support a favorite charity through quilt donations? Tell us about it. or share photos of your quilts in use … or a tip for hanging quilts, decorating with quilts, etc.
My house has a lot of spaces for hanging and using quilts. I try to keep it under control, but figure that my bedroom is one place I can enjoy quilts with abandon 😉
As you can see, I am currently enjoying the wonderful quilt made for me by many of you–hung on the wall using two 3 lb 3M Control Strip hooks. I planned to vacuum and remake the bed more neatly before taking this photo, but … after interrupting Grace’s afternoon nap at the foot of the bed, I decided against disturbing her any more than necessary.