Need Help / Suggestions on 'Fullness' please
 

As a newbie - I've run into a 'situation' that I need some suggestions on please.
I have made a 9 patch quilt - each completed block is appx 2-1/2 inches, I think there are 25 rows of 23 blocks/squares, alternating a block with a 'square'. All is good except for on one end where i seem to have a little fullness, ok a lot of fullness - probably close to an inch. Best I can figure out its starting about 4 or 5 rows from the outer edge. Obviously I had either blocks or squares that weren't the same size.
So my question/quandry - is it 'ok' to take a dart in the top to ease out that fullness or should i start taking apart each of the rows to try to isolate and resew that?
I don't want to put my borders on until i flatten out the design.
All suggestions welcome and Thanks in advance.

I am a visual person ~ would it be possible for you to post a picture of your 'fullness'?

Also, ??? a 9 patch that completes to 2.5?? Could you possible mean that your 9 patch has 2.5 cut squares? OR your 9 patch block is 12.5 (typo error)?

Are you doing a miniature? Or as grammy Dwynn said, could you of typed the wrong size? And yes, a picture would explain your problem. I usually have problems if I'm not careful about the scant 1/4" rule. Could that be your problem?

It's hard to say without seeing the quilt, but one thing to consider is that if you take a dart in one direction, the other direction may still have that fullness, and that will mean the quilt will be difficult to quilt and will not lay flat after quilting. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it might be worth the effort to take out a few rows and correct the original problem (the size of the blocks) rather than try to fix it from a later point. You are very smart to fix this before you add the borders.

My first quilt was a simple Yellow Brick Road (YBR). The blocks weren't all the same size, so when I sewed them together the quilt was wonky and didn't measure even close to square. My teacher, who is generally pretty tolerant of errors and short cuts, agreed that I needed to take it apart and fix the blocks that were off. You are not alone!

I agree with Dunster, take it apart. I know it's a lot of work but worth it in the end. I have lap quilt I made and one outer border was wavy; I did what you mentioned and made a tuck/dart in it. We just use that quilt as a cover up when chilly but every time I use it I see that blasted tuck. I should have redone it. Good luck!!

i would take it apart and resew.

I'd suggest you take it apart and re-sew it.
This will serve 3 purposes:
1. You'll learn to be more certain of your measurements next time and
2. You'll be much happier with the results down the road after the quilt is finished.
3. Learning from your mistakes is more permanent than 'fudging'.

Jan in VA

There is such beauty in the simplicity of that sentence.

Thanks everyone - and I'll try to get a picture tonight after work to post ... each "finished" 9 patch block is appx 2-1/2" square. I may not be using the correct terminology - I apologize.
I was leaning towards the ripout just hoping there was 'another' way lol. This is my 5th quilt and I'm pretty sure I wasn't consistent on all my seams... which I'm 'ok' with a little difference here and there as each top is a learning experience and I've always heard that every quilt top should have one 'mistake'! But I don't want to see that dart each time I look at this either! I think I have a few other 'mistakes' in it that can take it's place :-)

Since it's excess fabric, what I usually do in a situation like this is simply re-sew seams in the area of fullness -- starting somewhere towards the middle right on top of the existing seam, then tapering so there is more fabric taken up at the edge. You would want to do this with multiple seams. If you have 1 inch of excess fullness at the edge, then you would want to sew on top of perhaps 4 seams -- making each seam 1/8th inch wider at the edge (which will result in 1/4" less fabric at the edge).

When there is not enough fabric at the edge, you do have to rip before re-sewing. However, when there is excess fabric at the edge, you can simply sew on top of the existing seam and press. No one will know there is extra sewing inside that pressed seam!