The "fudge factor" -
 

How much "offness" in a block or matching seams can you tolerate - and are willing to try to work in?

My tolerance level is actually quite low - but I was joining some blocks I had made years ago and I have a join that is almost 3/16" off - the rest of the joins in those strips are "good enough" - and after three tries, I have decided to live with the puckers and "get on with it"!

The part that is most aggravating to me, though, is - I have not yet figured out "why" it is off that much.

The seam allowances seem to be the same, the cutting was accurate (when I measure the pieces, they seemed consistent with the other pieces). Not going to lay awake any more and fret about it.

Are you super-persnickety ? Or can you tolerate a certain amount of "it will have to do" because it is not getting any better?

My blocks are never the perfect size even though the units to make them are correctly sized. But they are within the fudge factor range and my quilts go together well, so I just move on and keep striving for accuracy.

I usually take seams apart and alter them until everything fits. I don't like "easing" in quilt seams. And I *hate* misaligned intersections. I have an extensive alterations background before coming to quilting, tho, which is why I just naturally alter when necessary. When it's gotta be done, it's gotta be done. :D

I'm pretty fussy but sometimes a seam slips through that I don't like and don't catch in time and now I leave it. There have been years when I would take apart all sorts of things to fix a 1/8" off seam, but not any more. With my vision issues if I ever find the problem again I'd probably do more damage trying to take out rather than put in.

I tend to sew a bit scant and some things like HST I make deliberately big and trim down, so my usual fudging is trimming down.

My tolerance is much higher than what it was when I started quilting but that was before rotary cutters and such and I used paper patterns. Then I pretty much just went with whatever I had and I would have a lot of very different things to put together! But I would try to get the blocks go together as well as possible so that the rows would go together. Was still using yarn ties back then as well, didn't seem so crucial to have everything exactly match.

It depends. If it's something I want to send of to a show, then I'm more picky about all kinds of things. If it's a quilt that will be used as a bed covering, or table covering but won't be entered into shows, then I don't bother correcting a misaligned seam unless it's something that will affect the structural integrity of the quilt.

And for show quilts, if after a number of tries, I can't get it perfect, then I decide that's how it was meant to be LOL!

Rob

I have a pretty low tolerance for seams not matching and points being cut off. If a seam is off or I've lost a point (or something else that annoys me), it gets redone if possible.

I aim for "precision" and it is an ongoing effort. I will never be perfect, don't try, but I like things to at least look good. Since I wash and dry my quilts when they are done, this hides a lot. I"m with you on thinking I cut well and have a quarter inch foot and have learned not to veer off at the end and still sometimes something is a bit off. I don't like the pleats/wrinkles at all, so will fix that, even if tedious. I can usually sew so as not to cut off points.

I can tolerate a lot in the seam allowances. If it gets to far off that is were decorative stitching can come in handy. It is a way to reinforce your seams and look pretty. It also lets you get a bit creative.