feline fanatic

Your block is drop dead gorgeous and wow what a spectacular quilt this will make. If the rest of your blocks have the same visual impact as this one I really don't think anyone will notice that the corner design doesn't match up exactly. While barely noticeable, obviously it bothers you or you wouldn't have posted. I would recommend marking the wrong side of the fabric where your miter should go (both strips) or pressing the miter fold in so you have a guide to sew. This way you can "fudge" it about until the designs line up perfectly. Then pin or even glue the printed border to your block and use lots of pins. Think it is pinned enough? Add 3 more, especially in the critical areas like at the end where you want to stop and start. Then you can use elmer's school glue to hold the miter in place while you sew.

Jenny does a lot (or maybe even all) of her stuff by hand. Hand piecing gives you a lot more control and ability to manipulate the fabric to line the designs up perfectly. So another consideration is you can hand stitch your miters and then if you wish take it back to the machine and restitch over the hand work as long as it lined up to your liking.

Rate your work on your own merits as you will make yourself crazy comparing yourself to others.

QuiltingVagabond

Here's the way I would do it - there are five gold dot motifs on each side, match the center of each side of your block and the center of the middle motifs and pin from there.
But I think your block looks nice too, you really have to look closely to see the difference in the corners.

KLO

I really don't know what has caused your corner to be off but I was wondering if it could be due to how you squared up the flower block. Did you use a ruler with the diagonal 45 degree line on it and put that line right down the center of that sewn line in the middle of the flower before cutting? Your block could be square but not "squared" on the flower. Not sure if that makes sense to you but hopefully you will get it figured out. And as someone else mentioned, Jinny Byer does hand piece and that does make it easier to be more accurate. By the way, what a lovely block that is!

NanaCsews2

When I do miters and patterns such as yours, I measure a few times and draw chalk lines where the seams should be sewn. Then I make notes on tiny stickers to let me know if I sew on the line, to the left or to the right. I place those on the blocks near the chalk line. My sewing can get really close to ideal when I do this. Love this block and the green. Can't wait to see the finished product.

bearisgray

After looking waaaay more carefully at the block - I do see what the original poster means - especially on the bottom miter.

There also seems to be some puckering of the fabric against the outside strips - so - perhaps the inside block is "a bit too big" for the outside strips and needs to either be cut down a bit - or the seams need to a very tiny wider to "shrink" the block size. Or did the puckering occur when it was pressed?

Is that last seam a diagonal one through the center of the block?

As far as those last miter joins - for "marking" or pinning - I stick a pin vertically into the "exact" spot where the vertices meet - and then pin on both sides beside the vertical pin - and remove the vertical pin.

The reason I do not leave the pin in the "exact" spot is that when I "lay the pin on its side" - there is a bit of distortion and then the seam gets more "off" then when I insert the "holding pins" on each side of the "exact" spot.

Hand basting of the join is another possibility. It's sometimes worth the effort!

grammysharon

I have only made one quilt with JB fabric for the border so I only had 4 corners to contend with. But I did measure around a motif and cut all the borders exactly the same. It does take precision cutting and sewing to make it come out perfect. I know I ripped out one corner a couple of times before it was right. Yours look great even if not perfect.

Pollytink

A beautiful block!!! I only see one tiny glitch in the bottom corner and as someone said, it wouldn't be noticed--except by you. This is a great thread and will go into a folder! What is the pattern? I love JB's fabrics but don't know if I'd be brave enough to try them.

stillclock

the pattern is cleopatra's fan - a freebie on the kaufmann website. i hand pieced the block and added the border by machine so the puckering is a result of different thread tensions. i figure once quilted and washed it will be more than fine.

i think klo's idea about what happened is true. the block is pieced in halves and then joined through the centre like that. none of the four are identical, but as setting blocks they'll be far enough apart that they'll seem identical, mostly.

handbasting makes a lot of sense in this context, as do bear's ideas about pin setting. and the rest ofyour thoughts too. so appreciated.

thank you so much. this place is a treasure.

aileen

bearisgray

Maybe hand sew the outside pieces on, too? You already have a lot of time invested in the center of the block.

bearisgray

stillclock - thank you for responding to our posts - it is very validating when the original poster "gets back" to those of us that have suggestions/opinions