Using Fabrics with Directional Prints – Part 2

If you missed my first blog post on directional prints, click here. In that post I dealt with directional prints used in border strips in a block and how to make half-square triangle squares so the directional prints are all in the same direction. In this post, I will talk about using these prints when making flying geese units, which are used a lot when making star blocks.

So here are the fabrics I am using to make the flying geese units for my star block:

As you can see, I will only be concerned with the grey fabric since my tan fabric has a print that is not directional. The secret to using directional fabrics for flying geese is that if you position the directional print horizontally, the print will be vertical after stitching. The photos below show this:

I decided I wanted my finished geese to have the print go vertical because I liked how it looked. So, as you can see in the second photo, when I lay the square face down on the tan rectangle, I need the print to be horizontal. After I stitch diagonally and press open the square, the print is now vertical.

So to finish the flying geese, I need to lay the next square face down on the other side of the rectangle with the print going horizontal so when done, the print will then be vertical like the first side.

But now here is the tricky part …. if you are using the directional print for the center square of the star and if you make all 4 flying geese with the print going vertical… this will happen:

So… you need to make 2 flying geese units with the print going vertical and 2 flying geese units with the print going horizontal if you want the all the print going in the same directional when the star block is done.

See how having geese with the directional print going in different directions now works when you place them with the center? See the photos of the block before and after piecing below:

All the stripes on the grey fabric are going in the same direction! It takes a little time and you have to slow down just a bit to get this right, but it’s worth it if this is the look you are going for.

So that’s the end of part 2! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am thinking of doing a short video tutorial in the future when I have a chance.

Happy quilting!
Deanne