As for the "waste fabric" we always but them into crumb blocks ala BONNIE HUNTER then sash them with black Kona... works for us and we rarely have waste... One lady makes doll quilts / miniatures so she takes left overs bigger than an inch... sometimes I thinks she takes those too. Our quilt group has a waste not attitude ... we challenge each other to make pretty blocks out of ugly fabrics.... We have found sorting the fabrics into cool colors / warm colors .... dull fabrics vs brights result in prettier blocks. All the older traditional ( non floral ) fabrics tend to end up in guy quilts... works for us.

Nonnie

Learning-As-I-Go wrote:

My stash can handle it.... I also would use the fabric that had been donated for charity quilts... that can be the hardest because the fabric tends to be mismatched sometimes ugly fabrics / colors, sometimes the fabric is very old and iffy quality. But that is the challenge to make beautiful quilts from so -so fabrics. I rarely worry about having more scraps... I am trying to get rid of a lot of the donated fabrics.

My gf is the queen of garage sales... she goes out all summer looking for quilt tops and useable fabric... then all winter long the group makes quilts. I always look for quick and easy patterns as we have a mix of skill levels for sewers often getting first time sewers who want to help and learn how to quilt.

I will post pictures when I get a chance.... right now I am more into sewing then I am to hanging on the internet.

Nonnie
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I have a ridiculously huge stash at home, but I'm still bothered by wasted fabric. I myself don't use this method for flying geese, but I will use it if I want those nice cathedral window type curves or if I want depth or pockets for some reason. The fabric ends up in the quilt, not in the trash, so it isn't truly wasted if used where you want these things. And for a bed quilt, the extra fabric will provide extra warmth. (And extra bulk if quilting on a DSM.)

Nancy

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
Rita, for some of us, none of the quilting supplies are ridiculously cheap!. Thanks for the insight on the twister. I've been looking at that, but I'd feel the same way. It's like throwing out the chicken I forgot to cook. What a waste.

I am the same. It's a nice block but a lot of wasted fabric. Any of us who don't live in the USA where fabric and other quilting supplies are ridiculously cheap would think twice about doing these blocks. I used the twister ruler once and was so cross at the disproportionate waste of fabric for the end result, never again.

As for flying geese Heather, I think Bonnie K Hunter's method is the best as there is no waste at all. The only thing is that you need the two rulers, but they are not that expensive and once you have them you can do any size flying geese provided your ruler is big enough. Here's a link to her video demo: http://quiltville.blogspot.ie/p/videos.html

Learning-As-I-Go wrote: I think this too, (for both methods, but especially the sew & flip) so don't worry you are not alone

That's a fun way, but I just keep thinking how much extra fabric you need to do that! LOL! Am I the only one who thinks that way? (I think the same with all the sew & flip flying geese and such, too.......even worse with this one where you don't get scraps leftover from the extra!)

The thing is, it isn't really Ricky's block - I learnt about the one seam flying geese block from Jennie Rayment before I had even heard of TQS..... Who knows where it originated?

A fun way to make quilts with a very easy block

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIxl3af3lzY

Look what this quilter did to Ricky's block.... been making these as DONATION quilts when went on retreat with friends. It has been so much fun.

We used patches starting 4.5 x 8.5 .... the finished blocks were 8 inches for one unit
Loved the pinwheel blocks ... we played around with the sizes.

Nonnie

Sorry no pictures