Originally Posted by
josieh
It seems as though I get worse the longer I sew. I am a senior citizen who was introduced to sewing in the 7th grade. Over the years I have purchased newer fancier machines but the items I make don't always turn out right. I just made a doll blanket. I cut 2 inch squares, and made half square triangles. I cut them down to 1 1/2 inches because I wanted 1 inch squares in the quilt. The squares are all smaller than 1 inch. What did I do wrong? Why doesn't anything turn out right anymore? I'm ready to quit sewing.
If you want 1.5" unfinished squares you would cut 2 3/8" squares to make the hsts. The diagonal 1/4" seams take a bigger bite out of the size. Generally, if I wanted 1.5" unfinished hsts, I would start with squares at 2 3/4", make my hsts, then square up and trim down to size. I know it's a little more waste, but it's worth it when they mostly turn out okay. Here's a link to a chart and tutorial that might help you with those hsts.
http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/20...maths-formula/