So my new flying geese ruler has arrived and been put to the test.

This genius of this ruler is all in trimming the flying geese blocks. It can’t be used to cut the fabric needed to make the blocks. However, there are measurements and instructions for making flying geese three different ways—the four-at-a-time “heart” method, the cross cut method and the stitch and flip method. This ruler can trim blocks from 1/2 x 1 inch to blocks 4 x 8 inches.

I’ve been making 3 x 6 inch blocks for my project.

Before getting the ruler, I tried trimming my four-at-a-time blocks using the 45 degree angle on a quilt ruler. I thought they were great but when I went to make my big block, they were a bit too large. Hmm.

I’d also tried the cross cut method of cutting a large square twice on the diagonal and that was bit better but it was still challenging to trim the blocks to the needed size with a regular quilting ruler.

For my first attempt to use the Creative Grids® Ultimate Flying Geese Ruler, I used their instructions to cut the fabric for the stitch and flip method, and I trimmed the flying geese using the ruler. That was great.

Then I decided to try my four-at-a-time nemesis. That worked so much better than my previous attempt. The flying geese I got with this method are in the photo at the top of this post.

My advice is if you plan to make a quilt with a lot of flying geese, and you’re not doing improv, invest in a ruler! You blocks will be much more accurate, you’ll be able to work a lot faster, and you’ll be a lot less frustrated. The investment is so worth it!