Can I round up???
 

Ok starting a Carpenter's Wheel redrafted by Karen Coombs for a wedding gift.
It calls for 4 7/8 squares to be sewn and cut into HSTs. I don't mind doing the 7/8 but am I better off rounding up to 5 inches?
Every time I have used the 7/8, the pieces go together beautifully but it seems I am always short on the overall block and end up cutting off some points (consistency, that hobgoblin of quilting...) but would I have better luck if I allow a leetle more wiggle room?

I ALWAYS round up when cutting the 7/8. When I make the hst, I then cut it to it's proper size.

I do the same..they never work for me so I cut big and square up.

I round up.....

yes, you can round up. in a perfect world with perfect cutting, piecing, and pressing, the 7/8" measurement gives you perfect HST, but since most of us can't do that every single time, it's better to round up on the cut squares to give you a little fudge room when you square the HST. Just remember to square the HST after pressing them :-).

Me too with the always rounding up. then you trim to size.

This is going to sound dumb, but trim to size? So I have some full squares that are 4.5" - trim the HST to that? I am ALWAYS afraid to trim becasue I worry that I won't trim it right.....and how to do that? Fold the full square in half and half again to get the middle, do the same with the HST and match them?

All of your blocks are going to measure the same (unfinished) size for this quilt. So when you round up to the 5" for the HST pieces when you sew/cut/press you'll be a tad over the 4.5". In theory if you did the 4 7/8 cut and cut and sewed accurately, your finished HST will be 4.5". So doing the 5" initial cut will give you a smidge over the 4.5 (unfinished) square. You can then trim to the 4.5". I like putting the 45 deg. line on my ruler on the diagonal sewn line and trim from there to the correct finished size. For me it makes for a really accurate HST and everything then matches up correctly.

Seems to be the only way that works decently for me.
It's a little bit more work, but then the HST units are the size I want them to be and square after they are pressed and trimmed.

I like to use the Quilt in a Day ruler to trim my HST's like so:
http://springwaterdesigns.blogspot.c...wen-sewin.html