Help!! What am I doing wrong?
 

I new to quilting as some of you know. I brought one of those monthly Quilt Block Kit. And this is the problem. I cut each piece like I should I measured and remeasured. 2"x2" each finish row should be 2"x 6 1/2". And when finish the whole thing should be 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 Well mine is 6 x 6 I measured my seams to make sure they are 1/4 and they are. I just don't know where I went wrong. Any suggests? Nothing ever comes out the size it should with me.
Nell

Check the pattern. Maybe the seams should be 1/4??? That is the norm . Don't give up!


sherylb

Can you tell us what the block name is? If you have 2" squares what shape are you adding them to?

Sherylb,
I did do the 1/4 seam I just miss printed. It makes the square 6 x 6. And I so wanted this to work out. I took my time and measured and measured before I cut. I just don't know.

The name of it is Spice of Life or Block 6 Eat, Drink & Be Merry. Maybe that what wrong I need a drink to see this right. I will try and post a picture of it.

Then possible there was a misprint on the patern. It happens :( Call where you got it to see if there were revisions. if so you'll get a new block kit free. If not... get your ripper ready :) It'll be ok.

As long as your blocks are consistent you are doing OK. Keep going. If you do a row of 6 x 6 blocks up and down it will still come out even if it is a simple pattern.

2" squares sewn together = 1 1/2"...so, 4 of them should measure 6"
it sounds as if you needed to add a seam allowance...1/2" seam allowances need to be added to pieces that will be sewn into blocks. it sounds as if the 2" is the finished size

That's a 12 1/2" block. Check to make sure you didn't, maybe, mix up a few pieces. Star over with identifing each cut piece and where it should go in that block.

Test your seam allowance. Cut a 2.5" strip of fabric, cut that into 3 pieces, and sew those 3 pieces together. Press the seams to one side, then measure the width. If you don't get a width of 6.5", then the problem is with your seam allowance and/or your pressing. The seam allowance needs to be *scant* because when you iron the seam some of the fabric is used up by the "turn of the cloth". This is how cutting exactly and sewing an exact 1/4" seam allowance can cause your blocks to come out smaller than you expect.

It happens to the best of us. When doing 1/4 inch seams, I find that most pattern actually need scant 1/4 inch seams to account for the thread and fold over. Unless your machine has a perfect scant 1/4 foot like my Bernina, you will have to adjust your seam size. Instead of measuring from the stitching line over to the edge for your quarter inch, make sure that the sewing line is just inside the quarter inch. Hope this helps but if all the blocks are the same repeat pattern in a quilt then the 1/4 doesn't matter. If all the blocks will be different like a BOM you do need to work out the seam allowance before proceeding or all the blocks will come out different sizes depending on the number of pieces involved.
BUT it's is still not a disaster if the blocks end up odd sizes, just set them in a "wonky" positioned sashing or adjust the sashing sizes and resquare them when finished. Good Luck and keep quilting!

I agree, I think there must have been a mis-print in the pattern. The squares would need to be 2 1/2" (so that you could have a 1/4" seam on each side) in order to have a 6 1/2" block (leaving 1/4" on each side) to finish at 6".

Here is the picture of my works. Hope you can see it. I checked the printing a it says 2x2.

From the photo you posted, the pattern is correct in specifying cutting 2" squares to start with. Assuming you are using a *scant* 1/4" seam allowance and pressing the seams, the resulting block should be 6.5" square.

It looks to me from the photograph that there is a lot of "turn of the cloth" in your seams. For example, between one of the brown squares and the blue square above it, the seam has not been pulled out before pressing; extra blue fabric is in the pressed fold. This will reduce the size of the square and of the whole block. If you *carefully* press all of these seams so the block is lying perfectly flat (the block in the photo is buckled) and each seam is fully pressed out (no extra turn-of-the-cloth in the seam), and the block is still measuring less than 6.5" square, then you need to adjust your seam allowance smaller.

Part of your problem appears to be pressing. Correct that first. Any remaining problem will be the size of your seam allowance (too big). It's actually not the exact 1/4" seam allowance that is important; it is the size of the finished square that is important. Patterns assume people will sew a *scant* 1/4" in order to get the correct finished size. Different people will have different "scant" amounts depending on how they press, the type of thread they are using, and the fabric they are using.

I agree with prism. Your loss is in the pressing process if your squares started exact at 2" AND if your seam is exact at 1/4". Each finished square in the center section should measure to be 1.5" square and the ones on the edge should be 1.75" Looks like you didn't push the top square back far enough when you pressed the pieces.

Other than that, the pattern is correct. 2+2+2+2 = 8 and you lose 1.5" for the seam allowance 8-1.5" = 6.5"

Yes the measurements are correct. 4) 2" blocks would make a 6.5" strip. Measure each strip before you sew them together. Also use a scant 1/4" seam because of having quite a few seams and PRESS, press, press.

This is what I wondered, if somewhere it said, or should have said to add a seam allowance?..Like to cut the squares 1/2" larger to account for the seams... I have had that happen before. I also have gone back and taken out every seam, and carefully resewn with a scant (very scant) 1/4" seam to try and eke out the extra inches...sorry you are having such a problem...
Good luck,
Kif

Sometimes pattern refer to a finished size block versus and UNfinished size block. Maybe post the directions you followed so we can try it to see.

Here the directions from the puzzle that I am trying to do. I have done ripped out starting over.