Flying geese calculator
Flying geese finish exactly twice as wide as they are tall. Type the finished size of one goose and this calculator gives you both ways to cut it — no-waste (four at a time) and stitch-and-flip — with the 2:1 shape checked for you.
A ruler-compatible 2:1 finished size
Corrected sizes — keep your width, or keep your height:
- no-waste (four-at-a-time)one large starting square, keep whole
- 7¼″
- no-waste (four-at-a-time)four small starting squares, keep whole
- 3⅞″
- stitch-and-flipone rectangle
- 6½ × 3½″
- stitch-and-fliptwo squares
- 3½″
Keep the large and small starting squares whole. Position half of the small squares on opposite corners of the large square. Stitch before any cut separates the units: sew on both sides of the marked diagonal. Cut between the stitched lines. Press the sections open. Add the remaining small squares. Stitch on both sides of each marked diagonal. Cut between each pair of stitched lines. Press the four geese open.
Scroll sideways to inspect every label.
No-waste: keep one 7¼″ large square and four 3⅞″ small squares whole. Position two small squares on opposite corners of the large square and stitch before any cut separates the units. Sew on both sides of the marked diagonal, then cut between the stitched lines. Press both sections open. Add the remaining small squares. Stitch on both sides of each marked diagonal, then cut between each pair of stitched lines. Separate and press the four geese open. Stitch-and-flip: one 6½ × 3½″ rectangle and two 3½″ squares.
Both methods, side by side
| Piece | 2 × 1″ | 3 × 1½″ | 4 × 2″ | 5 × 2½″ | 6 × 3″ | 8 × 4″ | 10 × 5″ | 12 × 6″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| no-waste (four-at-a-time)one large starting square, keep whole | 3¼″ | 4¼″ | 5¼″ | 6¼″ | 7¼″ | 9¼″ | 11¼″ | 13¼″ |
| no-waste (four-at-a-time)four small starting squares, keep whole | 1⅞″ | 2⅜″ | 2⅞″ | 3⅜″ | 3⅞″ | 4⅞″ | 5⅞″ | 6⅞″ |
| stitch-and-flipone rectangle | 2½ × 1½″ | 3½ × 2″ | 4½ × 2½″ | 5½ × 3″ | 6½ × 3½″ | 8½ × 4½″ | 10½ × 5½″ | 12½ × 6½″ |
| stitch-and-fliptwo squares | 1½″ | 2″ | 2½″ | 3″ | 3½″ | 4½″ | 5½″ | 6½″ |
Scroll sideways to see every size.
Column headings are the FINISHED size of one goose, width first — what it measures once it is sewn in. Every number in the table is a starting size to CUT. Keep the large and small starting squares whole. Position half of the small squares on opposite corners of the large square. Stitch before any cut separates the units: sew on both sides of the marked diagonal. Cut between the stitched lines. Press the sections open. Add the remaining small squares. Stitch on both sides of each marked diagonal. Cut between each pair of stitched lines. Press the four geese open. The no-waste method makes four geese at once; stitch-and-flip makes one goose at a time and trims the corners away.
The arithmetic, worked through
Every number above comes from two additions, worked here for a 6 × 3″ goose so you can check the method against your own size.
- no-waste (four-at-a-time), the large square
- Finished width 6″ + 1¼″ = 7¼″. Keep this starting square whole before stitching.
- no-waste (four-at-a-time), the four small squares
- Finished height 3″ + ⅞″ = 3⅞″. Keep all four starting squares whole before stitching.
- stitch-and-flip, the rectangle
- Finished size plus ½″ each way: 6 × 3″ becomes 6½ × 3½″.
- stitch-and-flip, the two corner squares
- Finished height 3″ + ½″ = 3½″; sew each across a corner and trim the outer layers away.
Cutting for a batch
| Piece | 4 geese | 8 geese | 12 geese | 16 geese | 24 geese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| no-waste (four-at-a-time)large squares at 7¼″ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| no-waste (four-at-a-time)small squares at 3⅞″ | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| stitch-and-fliprectangles at 6½ × 3½″ | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| stitch-and-flipcorner squares at 3½″ | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 48 |
Scroll sideways to see every count.
The no-waste method yields four geese per large square, so its large-square count is the batch divided by four, rounded up — a batch that is not a multiple of four leaves spare geese, not spare cutting. Stitch-and-flip cuts one rectangle and two corner squares per goose. For a different finished size, read the sizes from the calculator above; the counts stay the same.
Blocks in this library that use flying geese
Each has its own chart, with the geese sized for the block rather than on their own.
Related pages
- Finished vs unfinished block size Keep finished, sewn unfinished, and starting cuts distinct.
- Quilt block sizes Compare clean steps, cuttable eighths, and refused sizes.
Common questions
What size do I cut for a 6 by 3 inch flying goose?
That is the size the calculator above opens on: the panel shows the exact pieces for 6 × 3″ under both methods — the no-waste squares, and the stitch-and-flip rectangle with its corner squares. Any other size works the same way: type it and read the pieces.
Does this include seam allowance?
Yes. Both methods' formulas carry the seam allowance already — including what the diagonal seams need — so every number on this page is the size your ruler should read. Never add anything on top.
Which method wastes less fabric?
No-waste, and the name is literal: one large square and four small ones become four geese with nothing trimmed away. Stitch-and-flip sews corner squares on and trims the excess off, paying two offcut triangles per goose — worth it when you want one goose at a time, or corners in scraps.
Why does the calculator refuse some sizes?
Two reasons, told apart in the message: a shape that is not twice as wide as it is tall is not a flying goose, so the calculator offers you the corrected width or height; and a size that falls between the eighth-inch ruler marks cannot be cut accurately, so it asks you to round to the nearest eighth rather than silently rounding for you.