Donna, please excuse my laughter, but we are not the quilt police! Your post actually sounds like you are afraid you will be arrested! LOL Relax, quilting is not meant to be a science. If you need rules of quilting let me give you my two best ones. Rule #1 enjoy yourself. Rule #2 finished is better than perfect everytime.

An eighth of an inch is going to matter during the constuction of a block. But consistency is going to matter more. If your finished block is smaller, just make sure all your blocks square to same size and you should not have a problem. Yes the finished size of your quilt will be smaller, of course. Remember that every 8 seams will subtract an inch. You may want to reread the tips posted in this topic. These are the voices of experience and there is no reason to attempt to reinvent the wheel. :lol:

As a general rule I try to use the same ruler throughtout the cutting process. Once the blocks are all pieced as long as they all are the same it doesn't really matter any more. Relax and go ahead and put the blocks together. If you have sashing or borders make sure you cut them to fit you blocks or quilt top size and you'll be fine. Another thing I thought of about your size differance, have you double checked your 1/4 in. seam allowance? Not all 1/4 in. feet are totally acurate.

Hi there,

Welcome to the site, you are going to love it. I do a lot of strip quilting, most of my strips average 2 1/2 inchs. I found a 24 in ruler at walmart that has the cutter built into it. It has been wonderful. You can multiple layers and it is so much faster. Just square up your fabric and then start cutting. Oh by the way, it cost 24.95 but has been worth every penny to me.

Jane Sisk
Tucson, AZ

For almost every block, it would matter. For log cabins that are strip-pieced, nine-patches, four-patches, or other blocks where every single piece is the same, it wouldn't matter, but as soon as you start making blocks with different pieces in them, like an Ohio Star or a Goose in the Pond, or if you have triangles, you will run into trouble pretty fast.

I don't measure from the cut edge of my fabric. I measure by positioning the fabric straight on the cutting mat and then aligning the markings on my ruler with the lines on my cutting mat. This also keeps my fabric "square", self-correcting each time I make a new cut.

Sasafras, to keep your rulers from slipping when cutting I went to WalMart and bought a pack of Felt Pads, in the hardware dept. there is 84 little round dots, to a pack. after sticking these to each corner, I wait a day or two them remove them, they leave a film that will keep your ruler from slipping when rotary cutting. Cheaper, I think then buying this from JoAnn's.

That's the way I do it too. Not that everything comes out perfect every time. My girlfriend took a class and the teacher told them to ignore the lines on the mat and just use the ruler. I could never do it that way! But she is a newbie and is trying to do as the teacher said.