I really appreciate this 'lesson', my light bulb just turned on! I have been helping my GD make a lap quilt in a "Puzzle Pieces" pattern that I found as a free download. She had purchased a jelly roll of many colors of a tone-on-tone floral, perfect for her 4H project. We have had a DEVIL of a time getting things to fit properly. I re-checked her 2-1/2" cuts and her 1/4" seams and we still had to un-sew and trim a LOT to get things to fit. DUMMY ME! I didn't check the width of every strip, only a few of them, and then ASSUMED they were all correct. (Yeah, I know that definition of the word assume. :) ) I'll bet that's exactly what the problem was: irregular width cuts. It was a 'Blank Quilting' jelly roll, no reason to think there would be that much difference. Ah yes, live and learn! Thanks ladies!