Variable Star - February's Block

Variable Star
(Flying Geese technique)

Cutting
Traditional Piecing
Background
1 3 ½ x 14 (4-3 ½” squares)
1 7 ¼ square (cut diagonally twice)

Fabric 4
1 3 7/8 x 15 ½ ( 4-3 7/8 squares cut diagonally once)
4 3 7/8 squares
(I would cut 4 x 16 & 4” squares)

Fabric 5
1 6 ½” square

Speed Piecing
Background
1 3 ½ x 14 (4- 3 ½” squares)
1 3 ½ x 26 (4- 3 ½ x 6 ½)

Fabric 4
1 7 x 14 square
8 3 ½” squares

Fabric 5
1 6 ½” square


Making Flying Geese
Traditional Method
1. Line up the long side of a Fabric 4 triangle with a short side of a background triangle.
2. Sew ¼” seam.
3. Press toward Fabric 4.
4. Repeat process for the other short side of the background triangle.
5. One Flying Geese unit completed.
6. Repeat to make three more Flying Geese units.

Speed Piecing Method
1. Draw a line diagonally across the back of each of Fabric 4’s 3 ½” squares.
2. To make one flying geese unit, place a Fabric 4 square right sides together atop a Background rectangle, with outer edges aligned.
3. Sew on the drawn line.
4. Trim ¼” from sewn line.
5. Press towards Fabric 4.
6. Repeat this with another Fabric 4 square on the other end of the rectangle.
7. Repeat to make three more Flying Geese units.

Whichever method you choose to make, you need to make four of these units...

Block Assembly
1. Lay your block out according to the picture provided.
2. Sew 1 3 ½” square to each end of 2 of the flying geese.
3. Press toward background square.
4. Sew a Flying geese unit to each side of the Fabric 5 - 6 ½” square.
5. Press toward Fabric 5 square.
6. Sew top row to middle row. (Nuzzle seams so it lines up nice).
7. Press toward middle row.
8. Sew bottom row to other side of middle row. (Nuzzle seams so it lines up nice)
9. Press toward middle row.

Done!