hi barn, i think the "perfect" placement is a combination of luck and an illusion. for one thing each picture was straight to begin with. all i had to do was trim each one with a seam allowance included. the little yellow border of each picture was part of the panel. i just trimmed it to show 1/4 inch.
i am trying to work with another that is as crooked as a "dogs hind leg", (that's what my grandma used to say). it is an adorable panel but i am going to have to figure out a way to use it by making "crooked" part of the design. wish me luck.