Tag: quilt with a serger

One Seam Flying Geese with a Serger

Since March is National Quilting Month, I thought it fitting to share the latest serger quilting technique that I have been experimenting with – one seam flying geese with a serger.

While I was surfing the internet I came across an interesting YouTube video of Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Company. She was showing how to create a one seam flying geese block using a sewing machine. I immediately decided that the serger would be a great tool to use for this technique. I couldn’t find any internet resources about using a serger to make a one seam flying geese block. So maybe I am the first person to try it with a serger? Probably not, but it appears I am the first person to blog about it…..

One Seam Flying Geese with a Serger

The one seam flying geese block is a three dimensional block. The block is made from a rectangle and two squares and has just one seam. Each geese block/unit is twice as wide as it is tall. The angled sides (or wings) of the geese are folds in the fabric. This method has no lines to mark, no subcutting, and makes perfect points. How easy is that?! 

one seam flying geese with a serger

Pros and Cons of the One Seam Flying Geese Block

Pros

  • Accurate
  • Fast 
  • No markings or paper to remove
  • No bias edges
  • 3D adds texture
  • Very little waste

Cons

  • May need or want to stitch down the wings of the three dimensional geese
  • Some seams are a little thicker due to the folded fabric

Jen’s Experiment with Serged Flying Geese

I pulled a charm pack from my stash. The charm pack was from Boundless Fabrics and called Dutch Garden III. The blues and yellows were so fresh and cheerful compared to our dreary February weather!  With a few simple cuts and a little serging, I quickly transformed the 42 squares in my charm pack into 42 flying geese units. Chain piecing the blocks on my serger was quick and easy. I found making them kind of addictive – I just wanted to keep making them! 

chain piecing with a serger

With a little fabric manipulation, pressing and trimming, I transformed all of the blocks into one seam flying geese.

one seam flying geese with a serger

I Have a Bunch of Flying Geese – Now What?

Most people begin with a pattern when they create a quilt. Sometimes I do too. But not this time. I serged all these geese without a plan for what to do with them. I simply laid out all the blocks and moved them around until I liked the arrangement. These geese decided to become a table runner. 

Sashing and Borders

I serged the geese blocks together in groups of two and added sashings and borders. 

one seam flying geese with a serger

The Results of my Experiment

From the front side you might think the table runner was sewn with a sewing machine. But from the back side you can see all the neat and tidy serged seams.

My one seam flying geese blocks became my cheerful Spring Migration Table Runner!

one seam flying geese with a serger

The One Seam Flying Geese Block with a Serger

Would you like to try the one seam flying geese block technique with a serger? I thought you might so I created a tutorial just for you! Click the link below to go straight to the tutorial: – https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/serged-one-seam-flying-geese-block-tutorial/

serged one seam flying geese block tutorial
serging with jen

Resources

Serged One Seam Flying Geese Block Tutorial: https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/serged-one-seam-flying-geese-block-tutorial/

Tips for Quilting with a Serger:  https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/forty-two-ten-by-jen-serger-quilt-tutorial/

Jenny Doan’s Make a One Seam Flying Geese Quilt Video – https://youtu.be/15Cblb8J6i0

Quilt with a Serger

Since March is National Quilting Month and I love my serger, I thought I would show you how simple it can be to quilt with a serger.  To inspire you to try it, I designed my own pattern. My challenge was to design a quilt that was quick and easy to piece using a serger and used only one layer cake of fabric. I named my design, “Forty Two Ten by Jen”. Simple and catchy don’t you think? 

quilt with a serger

Layer Cakes and Other Precuts

I frequently use precuts for my quilts because I don’t have to stress over choosing coordinating fabrics. Precuts come in many different shapes and sizes such as layer cakes, charm packs and jelly rolls. I believe Moda was the first to create the “layer cake” which is basically a package of 42 ten inch squares that all coordinate. Using the word “layer cake” to describe a package of 42 ten inch squares is like calling all brands of facial tissue “Kleenex”. These packages of ten inch squares go by names such as Moda Layer Cakes, Riley Blake Ten Inch Stackers, and Bali Crackers.  

A Little Information About my Quilt

For my quilt I used Riley Blake’s, Azure Skies Ten Inch Stacker, designed by Simple Simon and Company. 

I am happy to say that my Forty Two Ten by Jen serger quilt is a zero waste quilt, which means it uses every single piece of fabric with no scraps. Those little scraps that are leftover from projects always create a small amount of anxiety for me. Should I throw them away or keep them for another project? If I throw them away I feel guilty. If I keep them I usually can’t find them when I need them. Does anyone else ever feel this way? No need to worry because this quilt has no leftover scraps – yay!

serger quilt

Equipment Required

This project does not require a fancy serger. As long as your serger can do a 4 thread overlock stitch, you can use it to make this quilt. However, not everyone is lucky enough to own a serger, so I also included instructions for how to piece this quilt on a sewing machine. I hope you enjoy quilting with your serger using my free pattern “Forty Two Ten by Jen”. 

Tutorial and Printable Instruction Sheet

Click the link to go to my tutorial and printable instruction sheet. https://overtheedge.blog/tutorials/forty-two-ten-by-jen-serger-quilt-tutorial/

quilt with a serger
Theme: Overlay by Kaira Extra Text
Cape Town, South Africa