I am in desperate need of some help with measurements- the direction reads cut 4-7/8" square, put right sides together draw a diagonal line sew 1/4 on each side - cut diagonal line to make square block - 2 triangles each color-- I hand piece quilt tops and the 4-7/8" has the 1/4" allowance for machine piecing--what size do I make each square to then add the 1/4". This may really sound like a stupid question but I have problems with inches and feet and hope someone here can help.

Cut your squares at 5". Forget 4 7/8! Draw the diagonal line from corner to corner, sew 1/4 inch on each side of the line. Once you have sewn BOTH sides, cut on the line and press them open. You will have 2 squares use your ruler and trim them down to desired size. Works everytime! Good luck, happy sewing. PM me if you need more help.

The measurements have already added in the seam allowance.

You don't have to adjust any measurements. Probably the easiest thing to do is to cut the 4-7/8" squares, put right sides together, and then use a ruler to *cut* from one corner to the other. This will give you two pairs of triangles. You hand-sew 1/4" inch from the edge you just cut. That will give you two completed half-square triangles.

With the machine method described above, you sew before cutting. With the hand method above, you cut before sewing.

I don't think the method of making the pieces larger and then cutting them down will work for you since you are hand piecing. That method works well for machine piecing, though.

Cutting 4 7/8" squares....

Like it said, cut the squares, draw the diagonal pencil line, then handpiece the scant 1/4 " up one side of the pencil line and back on the other side. Cut apart. Press. If your cutting and piecing were Very precise, when you press this it will lay on the table 4.5x4.5 inches which is the finished size. When you sew that HalfSquareTriangle into your block, it will finish to 4x4 inches.
To make it easier, personally and as Pam said above, if you started with 5 inch squares (I tend to start with 5 1/8" squares, hand piece either side of the pencil line, cut apart, press, then Square up to the unfinished size, which would be 4.5x4.5 inches. Starting with a little extra gives you some to trim off in the squaring up process and gives you perfect HSTs (HalfSquareTriangles)..

Perfect is hard, I tend to make mine a little larger and cut down. I learned the hard way. 1/8 of an inch of fabric saved is NOT worth my time. I prefer pretty squares.

I have better places to spend 6 cents.

cutting first means you are sewing on a bias edge..VERY stretchey weither you are machine or hand sewing. Once I learned how to sew and then cut, I have never pieced a triangle if I don't have to.

For hand -piecing, I would still trace around the template for the sewing line.

I like the security of a line to follow for stitching.

Thank all of you for the advice..Just like bearisgray I like have the line for stitching. That is where I came into questioning what size to make the template for hand piecing then marking the 1/4 around that.

typo, should say UNfinished size sorry


<<<Like it said, cut the squares, draw the diagonal pencil line, then handpiece the scant 1/4 " up one side of the pencil line and back on the other side. Cut apart. Press. If your cutting and piecing were Very precise, when you press this it will lay on the table 4.5x4.5 inches which is the UNfinished size. When you sew that HalfSquareTriangle into your block, it will finish to 4x4 inches.

Thank you I will try it this weekend