I haven't done a block swap in a long time. I used to do them; for the most part, the blocks were really nice. Did I measure them? No, they are all sitting in a project box like a bunch of orphans. They were never put into a quilt, and will probably wind up being tote bags one day, like all my other orphans do. So, if I were to do a block swap today, I would make sure my blocks were the right size, just in case the recipient actually wants to use them as they were intended <smile>.
For my own stuff, 1/16" is ok to be off; 1/8 is do-able, but makes me nervous. It also depends on the pattern. A rail fence can be trimmed down, no worries. But a block with points on the outside, well, not so easily. If I were a quarter inch off, I'd find out where the problem is and fix it. Were the strips cut narrow? Were the seams too wide? Did I change feet or machines?
One time I was sewing at a friend's house, using her machine. First day went fine. Next day went fine, until I tried to put the two days' blocks together. Turns out, her machine resets the needle when turned off, and I had not been using the default position the first day. Yup, that's still in the orphan box, too.
ps: If I had stopped to MEASURE between all that chain piecing, I would have caught the problem sooner.</smile>
Last edited by k9dancer; 07-31-2012 at 08:29 AM.