Originally Posted by mimisharon
Always 1/4 inch shy all around. Checked my measurements twice when cutting, checked my 1/4 inch seam with each seam, still came out a perfect 12 instead of 12 1/2. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroowwwwwwwwwwllllllllllllllllll
My first thought is to ask where you are putting your ruler line when making a cut. If your ruler has thick lines, it could cause your cut piece to be off a thread or two, which quickly adds up when making a block. My second thought is to wonder how thick the thread you are using is. The thicker the thread, the more you will want to sew using a scant quarter inch in order to leave room for the thread thickness. My third thought is ironing. Make sure to press your pieces completely open. I would have never thought of this but I had an instructor point out to me that I was being too gentle (who would've thought!?!) when pressing and I wasn't getting my pieces opened all the way. It wasn't anything obvious since it looked fine but once I became more aggressive with my pressing my pieces started coming out the right size. Fourth, if it isn't you or your machine, check the pattern. There are patterns out there that are simply
wrong and will always come out a bit small or large.
The best way to check is to cut three pieces of fabric at 2 1/2 inches. Sew each one together, press open, then measure both the seam and the entire piece. It should come out exactly 6 inches square. If not, why? Hope this helps.