Originally Posted by weezie

I like to be a little generous cutting my piece sizes (very little!) because the more pieces and therefore more stitching involved, the more the final block seems to shrink, so obviously the stitching lines are a factor. I am not too generous with my seam allowance width either, so I can't blame that. Also, FYI, your plastic 6-1/2" template center markings should line up with the block center, both vertically & horizontally; in other words, the center 2" square should be in dead center of the ruler as you look through it, with the ruler markings corresponding to your seam lines. Am I making myself clear? In your photo, I can see through the transparent template that your center block is not centered with the ruler. If it were, your block would be a little short both top & bottom, probably 1/8" each.