I'm with QuiltnNan, I trim often between each step. For me it's the process more than the product. But then, I don't get bothered if a block ends up an odd size like 8 1/8 instead of 8 1/2. As long as they are all the same size, it works. But having said that, there are some blocks that can't be cut down, you loose your 1/4 inch seam. So I avoid those blocks.