I am making a fence rail quilt. Sewed my strips (yes, I cut them) together. Went to cut them into 6 1/2 inch squares and some are a teeny bit off. Do I cut them all down to 6 sq in or leave them as I don't think it will be noticeable?

Thanks! I really don't want cut down 120 squares but if I have to, I will. And HOW do you cut that many strips perfectly straight?


Sam

I would cut the length of the finished strip to match the length
of the sewn pieces, so the blocks match each other when
they are rotated to make the pattern. If they don't come out
to be exactly 6 1/2 it is ok, just so they are as long as they
are wide, then they would match up. Hope that helps. It sounds like your seam allowance might not have come out
to be a scant 1/4 inch, so that is why they are not 6 1/2.

To get them to come out straight, lay your ruler on the
seam line of the pieced strips and then cut off the segment
for the blocks.
Have you already cut all the squares from the pieced strips?

I agree with sewlady. A full 1/4 inch makes a smaller block than it should. The scant makes up for the fold in the fabric seam.

what's the definition of a "teeny bit off"?

I would trim off each block to be the same size and have done that lots of times. If only a thread or two too short I will lightly stretch to fit the piece I'm matching up also. It doesn't show and will turn out just fine.

The only problem I can see is if you trim the blocks down to 6”, your outside strips will end up looking smaller than the inside ones because they are missing a full ¼ inch. How much smaller are they than 6.5? Are they off by just a little that you could make it up in the seams? Are they all off the same amount already? If they are all the same size already (just slightly smaller than 6.5), I would sew them as is personally.

Good luck!
Rachel

that, what I do too.