Divide & Dash QAL Week 7: Finishing with the Optional Flying Geese Border

 

Divide & Dash Quilt Along Correction

Week 7 – Optional Flying Geese Border

After weeks of stitching, pressing, and assembling our Divide & Dash quilt, we've arrived at the final step! This week we're adding the optional Flying Geese border, a feature that frames the quilt beautifully while adding movement and visual interest. With just sixteen Flying Geese units and four cornerstone squares, you'll create a striking finish that ties the entire design together. Let's put the finishing touches on your quilt and get it ready for quilting and binding!

Congratulations on reaching the final step of the Divide & Dash Quilt Along! This optional Flying Geese border adds movement and a beautiful finishing touch to your quilt. Take your time with placement and pay close attention to the direction of your geese to create a border that flows seamlessly around the quilt.  PDF File: 

Materials Needed

• 16 Flying Geese units (constructed in Week 3)

• 4 Cornerstone squares measuring 4½" x 4½"

Prepare Your Flying Geese Units

Carefully remove the paper from all Flying Geese units before beginning assembly.

Construct the Side Borders

1. Select 4 Flying Geese units.

2. Stitch the units together end-to-end, ensuring all geese are flying in the same direction.

3. Press seams as desired.

4. Attach the completed border unit to the right side of your quilt using a ¼" seam allowance.

5. Repeat to create a second side border and attach it to the left side of your quilt.

    

Your right border will fly this direction

Your left border will fly this direction

Construct the Top and Bottom Borders

1. Stitch 4 Flying Geese units together end-to-end, again keeping all geese flying in the same direction.

2. Add one 4½" cornerstone square to each end of the border unit.

3. Press seams as desired.

4. Position the completed border along the top edge of the quilt.

5. Match the cornerstone seams to the seams where the side borders join the quilt center.

6. Pin carefully and stitch in place using a ¼" seam allowance.

7. Repeat for the bottom border.

Your top border will fly this direction

Your bottom border will fly this direction

Final Tip

Before stitching, double-check the orientation of your Flying Geese units. The geese should appear to fly continuously around the quilt, creating a smooth visual flow around the entire border.

Congratulations! Your Divide & Dash quilt is now complete and ready for quilting, binding, and enjoying. Thank you for stitching along with me. I hope this project has inspired you to mix traditional blocks with modern design and encouraged you to make the pattern uniquely your own.

Thank you for joining me on this Divide & Dash Quilt Along adventure. Whether this was your first quilt or one of many, I hope you've enjoyed watching this design come together one zone at a time. I'd love to see your finished quilts, so be sure to share them in the Face Book Sister of The Divide Quilt Along group. Until our next project, keep stitching, keep creating, and most importantly, enjoy the journey. Happy quilting! 🧵💕

Happy Quilting!

Designed by Karen Meyer
Sister of The Divide

Divide & Dash QAL Week 4: Constructing the First Row

 

Divide & Dash QAL

From the Designer

This week we begin bringing the individual blocks together into the modern layout of Divide & Dash. By working in zones, the quilt top becomes easier to manage and assemble one section at a time. This first row gives us a beautiful start, combining Churn Dash blocks, Flying Geese, and open spaces for a clean, modern-traditional design.

First Row Construction: Zones 1–3  PDF Link

This week we will begin assembling the first row of the Divide & Dash quilt by constructing three separate zones, then joining them together to complete the row.

Use a consistent 1/4" seam allowance throughout.

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Zone 1 Construction

You Will Need

• (1) Large Churn Dash Block from Week 1
• unfinished size: 12.5" x 12.5"
• (1) Fabric strip: 2" x 12.5"
• (1) Fabric strip: 2" x 12.5"
• (2) Fabric strips: 4.5" x 15'"

These strips may be cut from one coordinating fabric or from a variety of prints for a scrappy look.

Step 1

Sew the 2" x 12.5" strip to the top of the Large Churn Dash Block.

Press seam to the outside.

Step 2

Sew the 2" x 12.5" strip to the bottom of the block.

Press seam to the outside.

Your unit should now measure:

12.5" x 15"

Step 3

Sew one 4.5" x 15" strip to the left side of the unit.

Sew the second 4.5" x 15" strip to the right side of the unit.

Press seams to the outside.

Your completed Zone 1 unit should measure:

20.5" x 15"

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Zone 2 Construction

You Will Need

• (2) Small Churn Dash Blocks from Week 2
• unfinished size: 8" x 8"
• (2) Fabric strips: 4.5" x 8"
• (1) Fabric strip: 8" x 8.5"

Step 1 – Unit 1

Take one Small Churn Dash Block.

Sew one 4.5" x 8" strip to the left side of the block.

Sew one 4.5" x 8" strip to the right side of the block.

Press seams to the outside.

Set this unit aside.

Unit 1 should measure:

16" x 8"

Step 2 – Unit 2

Take the second Small Churn Dash Block.

Sew the 8" x 8.5" strip to the right side of the block.

Press seam to the outside.

Unit 2 should measure:

16" x 8"

Step 3 – Complete Zone 2

Place Unit 1 on top and Unit 2 on the bottom.

Stitch the two units together.

Press seam open or in the direction of your choice.

Your completed Zone 2 unit should measure:

16" x 15"

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Zone 3 Construction

You Will Need

• (1) Flying Geese Block from Week 3
• (1) Small Churn Dash Block from Week 2
• unfinished size: 8" x 8"
• (1) Fabric strip: 2" x 12.5"
• (1) Fabric strip: 2.5" x 8"
• (1) Fabric strip: 5" x 10"

Step 1 – Flying Geese Unit

Take your Flying Geese Block.

Sew the 2" x 12.5" strip to the top of the Flying Geese Block.

Press seam toward the strip and away from the geese.

Set aside.

This unit should measure:

12.5" x 6"

Step 2 – Small Churn Dash Unit

Take your Small Churn Dash Block.

Sew the 2.5" x 8" strip to the top of the block.

Press seam toward the strip.

Next, sew the 5" x 10" strip to the left side of the unit.

Press seam toward the strip.

This unit should measure:

12.5" x 10"

Step 3 – Complete Zone 3

Attach the Flying Geese Unit to the Small Churn Dash Unit.

Press seam away from the geese.

Your completed Zone 3 unit should measure:

12.5" x 15"

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Final Row Assembly

Lay out your completed zones from left to right:

Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3

Step 1

Sew Zone 1 to Zone 2.

Press seam open or toward the larger unit.

Step 2

Sew Zone 2 to Zone 3.

Press seam open or in the direction of your choice.

Your completed first row should measure:   49" x 16"

Your First Row Should Look Like This:

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Helpful Tips

Measure each zone before joining the row together.

Pin at the beginning, end, and center points to help keep the row even.

There will be no seams to match up!

Press carefully and avoid stretching your seams.

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Be sure to join us on Facebook at Sister of The Divide Quilt Alongs and share your work, we love to see what you are making. Also, be sure to follow us on YouTube for all the tutorials for this QAL and more!

 

Everyone Needs a Zippered Pouch!

 

I have a weakness for pouches, I love them! I love to make them. They are great for organizing not just make up essentials but quilting essentials, EPP kits, first aid supplies for your home or car, quick grab and take office supplies for on the road, there is literally no end to the multitude of uses you can find for pouches.

What a fun way to use up your scraps! For this pouch I have used some 2.5" squares that were left over from a quilt. I simply stitched them together until I had a piece large enough that I could fold in half for the pattern. I chose a pretty liner fabric that would coordinate.

The FREE pattern for this pouch is available through Riley Blake Designs and here is the link for the PDF pattern. Taco Pouch Templates There are several sizes and I will post the video tutorial at the end of this blog. For this pouch I selected the Large Size Template. I used a Chalk Marker to mark around the template and then cut it out with scissors.

 

 

 
This is what your piece will look like when you open the fold.

 

 

You will also need to cut your lining and interfacing materials with the same template.

Make sure you get an extra long zipper, it makes this pouch quick and easy to create. Follow the directions in the video tutorial by Riley Blake Designs below and you will have yourself a cute pouch! This would be an excellent pattern to use for crumb piecing, using all your random bits and scraps, stitched together to create your own fabric design. For that I would recommend that you cut your interfacing and crumb piece directly onto that to support your work. Have fun with it!

Be sure to watch the video below for complete step by step instructions to create your pouch!