I have a quilt that I am making where there is a strip of fabric, then a square, then another strip of fabric, then a square.



Well I need to line up the squares just right, but then when I do there is too much "strip" between the squares. Some of the strips seem to be just a little too long, but then some seem to be quite a bit too long.



How do I find out where I went wrong with my piecing?

It's the little blue squares on the quilt that I'm having issues with. I get those lined up and then the fabric strips to the sides are too long between the squares.

Probably your seams aren't all perfect. BTDT (and still do). You can adjust some seams to try to get it to fit. Sashing seams (the strips) are fairly easy to adjust-just sew the seam a tiny bit smaller or take them out and sew a bit bigger, depending on how you need it. I wouldn't even attempt to adjust seams in a pieced block unless it's a simple one like a 4 patch or 9 patch.

Well, you would need to start at the beginning- did you cut all your fabric pieces the right size? Is your seam allowance the same on all seams? It should be 1/4". You might need to get a seam ripping session going and start again.

Just saw the picture. That is a neat pattern! There is a lot of matching up to do though, so it's one where your seams need to be spot-on. By too long, do you mean too wide? If they're too long you can trim them...

Pretty sure I cut all my fabric pieces the right size. Seam allowance should be the same, I line my fabric up with the end of my foot

Yeah I guess too wide. I'm just not sure how I'd know how much I need to cut in order to get them to line up just right!

With a pattern like that seam allowances "the same" isn't good enough. They have to be a scant 1/4". In other words, the seam has to be just so that the seam allowance and the thread line is 1/4" plus accounting for the fold from pressing. It's too late now but before your next project, you can do a test to determine if your seam allowance is correct. Sew 3 1.5" strips together, press as usual, and make sure the center is exactly 1". If not, keep adjusting your needle position until it's exactly 1".

Also, all feet are not necessarily going to give a 1/4" seam allowance. I have a patchwork foot that is supposed to be a perfect 1/4" but I had to adjust my needle position a bunch to get it just right.

This is going to be a very Beautiful quilt when you get all the kinks worked out on it!

I think either your log cabin blocks are not all the same size or your sashing strips are not cut accurately. Remeasure everything. Then start frogging if necessary :-) Looks like it's going to be a great, beautiful quilt when you're done! :thumbup:

No frogging! Please!!! LOL

If I did screw up on the cutting or something, I don't exactly have enough fabric to recut the stuff.

Your seams are likely a little too wide. That makes your blocks short for the length of the sashing strips. I would measure your blocks and adjust the cut-length of the sashing strips to match the unfinished length of the blocks.

Actually, if you have already sewed the sashing strips to the squares, all you have to do is remove one seam (say, on the left side of each square) and re-sew to make the sashing length match the blocks. I would re-sew first and make sure everything is accurate before trimming the extra sashing from the seam.

I am assuming that you have assembled the quilt in rows, with the blocks in one row and the sashing strips in a separate row.

Hope this is clearer than mud!

I just looked at my machine to see about changing where my needle is and the only way I can do it is if I do a different stitch entirely.

There should be a stitch width setting that allows to do a narrower or wider zig zag. If you change that when your machine is set to a straight stitch, it should move your needle one way or the other.

If you can't or don't want to move your needle position, you can use a stack of post it notes as a guide for the correct seam allowance.

The other option is to move your fabric. Instead of using the edge of the foot as your seam guide, perhaps mark a line inside the edge of your foot to use.

What I do is cut moleskin strips (moleskin is in the foot care area of pharmacies), which have an adhesive backing, to the bed of the machine and butt my seams up against it.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!!
Looks like your're getting lots of great help already!!
Looking forward to your posting the quilt when you have it together! It's going to be beautiful!

My machine is a Brother LS 2125i. I'm looking at the manual online and not seeing a way to fine tune the needle. There is apparently an option to do different stitch lengths with the needle in the middle, or just one stitch length with the needle to the left. Now the lines on the needle plate, are they based on the needle being in the center position or left position?

ETA-Looks like it's based on the center position. Not that they are labeled with numbers or anything!

Sounds like you have a machine with set length and width for each stitch. At some point you will want to graduate up to a machine that has variable stitch length and variable stitch width, plus independently adjustable needle positions.

In terms of working on the quilt you have posted, now is not the time to be changing your needle position and seam width. Until you finish this quilt, I would keep everything as you have been doing it. Just adjust the sashing strip lengths (shorten them to match your blocks) and you are good to go.

More than likely it is based on the center position. I would take some sample squares and stitch 1/4 inch seams and measure to see what it is compared to what it should be. For example 3 pieces that are 2" in width. Stitch together and see if it measures 5" I always do this with my students when I teach beginning quilting, before we even stitch their first blocks.

I agree.

I think this might be the case as well. Do you measure each block as you go? This can also help with matching up those sashing cornerstones. If your blocks are of unequal dimensions this will make matching up the sashing to them near impossible. With blocks a tad to big you can sometimes ease them to fit your sashing but if the blocks are too small you can maybe stretch them by blocking another 1/8" or so. anything much more then that can cause problems for you.

Did you square up your log cabin blocks to the same (or close to the same) size? If they are off, then you can't really plan the sashing strip.

You can still do it by measuring each square and cutting the sashing strip to match. It is a pain in the butt do do that though.

You chose an unforgiving pattern there! You have some excellent advice above. You can learn a lot from this experience. That's life!

I encountered a similar problem with my first log cabin quilt. My seams were just enough off to make the sashing too long. I cut the sashing to fit the blocks rather than try to redo everything, which is what it would have required on mine. The finished size of the quilt did not come out the same as the pattern, but it looked OK so I'm not complaining.

I did as someone suggested of doing the 2" strips and my strip came out to be 4 3/4 in wide instead of 5" It also seemed like I got one measurement on my rotary mat, and another on the clear plastic ruler I have.

I am willing to bet that most of us have blocks that don't always match up, this is when we use the well known art of "easing"! If you have a section that is longer, always put the long side on the bottom. The feed dogs take in the bottom fabric slightly more than the top. I have been shocked how much of a difference that can make. It won't help if you are off an inch, but for lesser amounts, it works.

I use the measurements on my ruler and not the mat. I am sure everyone has their own preference, this is just mine

Actually, easing may be what is causing the problem--do you pin ?
strips can ease so easily--and an amazing amount sometimes. I know Pin is a dirty word---but it works & even though I have been piecing for a long time, when they really need to match--I pin.

Yep I pin :) I'll definitely have to take some time to figure out how to get the sashing just right.

One of the prettiest quilts ever !!! I'm new so I haven't a clue that there is anything wrong with this gorgeous quilt. The first ever I tried to make I did not know about squaring up the squares so nothing matched anywhere !!! ugh ! Now I can laugh about it , at least it was just a wall hanging ! whew ! I might have quit .....not..... I am loving this site and loving all the caring that goes on here, thanks everyone.

I think I've found my problem. I designed this in EQ5 and when I do a template for the sashing strip it tells me its 10x1 in. So I added in the 0.5 in seam allowance that I would need for each strip, therefore I cut my strips at 10.5x1.5

But when the blocks are sewn into rows, the "middle" blocks on the row only measure 9.5 inches wide, not 10 inches. So I'm guessing maybe I should have cut the strips at 10 inches? But then what do I do about the "end" squares on the row where the strips wouldn't end up wide enough to cover the whole square?

Did you do the same kind of measuring for the templates for the squares that you did for the sashing? EQ accounts for the 1/4 inch seams. If you add .5 to the sashing, then to me you should have added to the block also. Try a sample block and sashing using the exact measurements EQ gave you and see if that doesn't work.

Well I know that what I would have done was selected the block and done a rotary cutting chart, then followed those instructions. When I do that I select block size from quilt and it shows it as 10x10

10 X 10 finished or unfinished? If it's 10 X 10 finished then your individual blocks would be 10.5 X 10.5 and sashing would be 10.5 X 1.5 before sewing them together, resulting in a 10 X 10 and 10 X 1 after sewing your .25 inch seams. If unfinished it would measure 10 X 10 and 10 X 1 respectively and the block would end up being 9.5 X 9.5 and the sashing would be 9.5 X .5 after sewing them together. You can't change the measurements of one without changing the measurements of all or it will throw it off.

Welcome and good luck. Sometimes if I have a block or several that are just a little off I try them in different positions. Like if I tried it in the upper left and it didn't match but for some reason if I put it in the bottom right it matches. It looks like some of those blocks can be interchangeable so I might try something like that before I start ripping (frogging) out stitches.
A quarter inch foot is a great item to have for in the future. It is a foot the has a guide built on it that you put your fabrics up to as you sew to help keep it in line. Even if your needle doesn't adjust side to side that will help make your seams more consistent.

in piecing a block with so many seams, it is important to test to make sure each part is finishing up the size it should be. At this point, I suggest you measure the block and square them up and then measure to determine how long the sashing should be.
For instance, if they should have finished at 10.5" but didn't, then work with the new size. If they finished at 10" then the sashing should be 10" etc. I hope this is clear.
The posts have indicated what the problem might be - seams not consistent, cutting not consistent etc.
sewing patchwork is only as good as the last seam.
And....don't assume the 1/4" foot is accurate but mark where the seam allowance should be not where the foot says it is.

I think it's beautiful even if it has faults.

I measured the "middle" squares and they are 9.5 in because they've already been sewn to the other squares. So I'm assuming 10" unfinished, which means I made the sashing too long

You might try checking each block with a ruler to make sure they are all right on also.

Yup. Just cut your sashing 10 X 1 and everything should work out.

When I took a workshop from Carol Doak she told us to pin pin and then to machine baste each inter section.
I know this sound crazy but if you get a sample block and you watch the way it feed through the feed dogs you will see some of the fabric doesn't go at the same time.
Try piecing with a walking foot if you don't have a dual feed machine.