This is very helpful to me too. I am going to check out the links. I just finished 20 blocks that were supposed to be 12 1/2 " finished. Mine are all 12 1/4" finished. I have checked all of my seams and they are all exactly 1/4". I have no idea where I went wrong. Would you ladies advise me to leave them all at 12 1/4" or trim them to 12"? I don't know what to do.