Hi-

I am making a baby quilt to donate to a local charity and am following the Missouri Star tutorial on making a strip quilt, then cutting them into squares and then doing some cutting. My question is, if I sew 4, two and a half in strips together, how do I cut the strips into a square? Is the correct measurement 10inches because 4 x 2.5 = 10, or do I have to take into account the seam allowance and cut them more like 8 1/2?

PLEASE HELP! JC

You'll cut them at 8½" once 4 are sewn together.

Measure the width of the strips sewn together and cut the squares that length. If your strips sewn together measure 8.5 inches, then cut the squares 8.5 inches. If they measure 8 1/4 inches, cut them 8 1/4 inches, etc.

Sew your 4 strips together, press.
Measure across the width of these sewn sets at s few different points and average those measurements. (will be close to 8.5")
Cut your squares this size.
Remember that a square has FOUR EQUAL SIDES, so if the strips are 8.75" wide, you would cut them in 8.75" chunks to make them square........or if 8.25" wide, then cut at 8.25" chucks for a square.

Jan in VA

Great question, thanks for the wonderful answers.
Evelyn

Yes, thanks for the question. It is something to add to my "remember" notebook. Teresa