Prism99

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.