Confessions of a Quilt Pattern Designer

I thought I had it all figured out. As a pattern designer, if you asked me which unit is the undisputed champion for beginners and clean design, I would have said Half-Square Triangles (HSTs) without missing a beat. (well, I love them so everyone else does too-right?)

So, I decided to poll 10 quilters—ranging from seasoned pros to three total beginners—fully expecting them to back me up.

Nope, the vote was unanimous: Flying Geese over HST

After picking my jaw up off the cutting table, I dug into why quilters prefer Flying Geese over the seemingly easier HST. It turns out, the "trickier" block has some , hidden advantages that make it better than HST’s.

1. Less Bulk in the Seams

When you use two HSTs to create a point, you have 6 layers of fabric in the corner intersection. Not only a pain to stitch and keep lined up but difficult to press. By contrast, a Flying Geese unit keeps its outer corners entirely flat. For the quilters I polled, avoiding that bulky, needle-breaking bulk at the intersections is worth every bit of extra effort.

2. Fewer Pieces, Faster Layouts

A Flying Geese unit does the exact same visual job as two HST’s in a single, unified block. It make the final quilt top assembly quicker.

3. The "No-Waste" Method

The beginners in my poll especially pointed out a modern favorite: the four-at-a-time, no-waste Flying Geese method. Once you learn the rhythm of putting small squares on a large square, you get four perfect units with absolutely zero fabric waste and no tiny triangle scraps cluttering your space. (unless you’re me and make them a little bigger, because I am not the best piecer).

The Designer's Takeaway (me)
As a designer, I need to think about extra seams, seam bulk and aesthetics not just my favorite way of creating a block.