May I help a little?
An unfinished block has not been put into a quilt yet.
The unfinished block will usually measure 1/2 inch bigger than the finished block. (as Ducky explained - - the extra half inch is the 1/4 inch seam allowance all the way around for when it gets put into the quilt)
The finished block is already into the quilt. When I see a finished quilt top, the outer blocks may still be (should be) 1/4 inch bigger than the inside blocks, since it is waiting for the next step (a border, or the binding, just depending on what the quilter is going to put in there next.)
And, when the quilt is completed, you will take your little tape measure and measure from seam to seam ... the unfinished block was x-amount of inches + 1/2 inch .... now, in the quilt, it is lacking that extra and from sewn line to sewn line is the FINISHED size of the block.
I hope we helped, and welcome to the light! LOL
Questions help those of us who think we know everything :roll: get better than we knew we had to get, eh?
My daddy always told me: No one can shoot you for asking a question. They can tell you know ... but, if you never ask, you will never find out.
Questions are a good thing, and this list is so nice to be asking questions and getting responses.