Originally Posted by
Barb in Louisiana
I've been sewing a long time. Corners don't always match up. Usually, mine are because some of squares or HST's are slightly smaller than others. I realized that I didn't always have my rulers in exactly the same place when I cut every time. Also, if you are using two different rulers, some times that is a small difference in the measurement. What to do now? You can ease in 1/8". I know that the better way to ease in is to have the oversized piece on the bottom and let the machine help. I don't trust this method. I would rather have the bit extra on the top so I can see if I am going to sew in a pleat or pucker. This is a good video that may help you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh7_zvHcIio
Edited to add: if you sew over the pins, sew very slowly. Hitting a pin at speed can cause your needle to break and you never know where the point is going to go.
The way I remember this technique - I have heard it called the "baggy bottom" the piece that is slightly larger, goes onto the bottom and the accurate piece is on top, where you can see. The theory behind it is the feeddogs will gradually take up the excess fabric, good for 1.8 inch difference. Once sewn, you should not be able to see the difference and should not have pleats.