Originally Posted by
QuiltnNan
i want my blocks to finish within 1/16th inch of the measurement. however, some blocks that i've spent a very long time making have been 1/8 too small on some seams. when i realize this, i mark the spots with a pin, and when assembling the quilt, i sew a second seam to strengthen it. of course, this only works if you are pressing the seams to one side.
This is exactly what I do! I believe Mary Ellen Hopkin's idea of PPM's (Private Personal Measurements) for seam allowances only works out ok if you are sewing identically sized squares, and no other shapes within the quilt. It seems to me that for that to work, you need to have the same number of seams in each direction on the quilt. For most patterns, a perfect quarter inch seam allowance is necessary. There's just no getting around it, lol!