Finally! I started my first quilt today. (I forced myself to wait until I had finished another project.) What a fun day! I cut strips and made 22 blocks with 9 squares in each. They're supposed to measure 4.25 x 4.25 inches, and they all do... except one. That one is 4.25 x 4 inches, maybe a little bit less.

I think I'm just going to throw it away and make a new one, but I wanted to ask more experienced quilters how much I should worry about a quarter inch. Do you normally throw away a block that's off by that much (smaller)? If not, how do you compensate for the shortfall?

Next weekend... pinwheels!!! :)

It will make it easier for you later if you toss it. (Save it and let it find it's way into another project later.

At first I worried more about consistancy of my seam allowances than I did exactly what measurement they were. Consistancy is far more important.

As for the one block, don't throw it away. Rip it apart, figure out where your error was and fix it. It may have been in cutting, it may have been in stitching.

We learn by ripping :)

Rather then throw it away, I remove the stitching, press and recheck the pieces size and then resew. Sometimes one block will have extra large seams. As close as you can be accurate the better your blocks will fit together.:)

As you work with more pieces and blocks the 1/4" can be your best friend and everything will go together smoothly. I know my first few quilts show the difference an 1/8" or two can make in the final products. I have improved greatly but still end up taking the odd block or seam apart to correct a "situation".

If you have enough fabric, you could put it in a scrap pile. If not, you could always put it in the corner of the quilt (we won't report you to the quilt police)

Or use it as the label on the back of the quilt.

accuracy is important
Accuracy is important
ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT

Rules to live by:
1. The seam ripper is your best friend.
2. Tear it out and re-measure your pieces. If they are exactly what they are supposed to be, re-sew. If they are not and you have extra fabric, just recut those pieces that you need to.
3. Take painters tape for masking tape and mark off on top of your needle plate 1/4 inch line. Place the tape 1/4 inch from the needle. Use this line as your guide.
4. Sew the block again. Measure the block.

You should be good to go.

PS. There are no quilt police on here. A lot of varied opinions of different things that work for different people. Try several different things and keep what works for you. But good habits are best started at the beginning. If you are consistent now, later on you'll do it automatically. And many patterns require that you be exact on that 1/4 inch.
Don't give up. I have a seam ripper in my sewing machine, my thread cabinet, on top of my bookcase, and in my purse. Plus a couple extras that I've picked up just in case I can't find one. LOL

I never throw away blocks , they can be used for making potholders, or in a small doll quilt or a scrappy quilt.or make a pillow , by adding borders.

I'll agree that accuracy is important, especially when you have a lot of seams to match or in very intricate blocks like the lone star. That said however, in some quilts accuracy is needed but being off 1/8" isn't the end of the world. Sometimes a little added pressure (or pulling) will allow you to work two blocks together and get matching seams. You just don't want to tug so much that you stretch-out a piece of fabric to a noticeable level. Anything that ends up a full 1/4" or more off in my estimation should be reconstructed or replaced. For newbies...ripping IS learning. You can see where you are making your mistakes which will lead you to being more aware and careful in the future.

Thank you so much, everyone! I hadn't even thought of ripping out the seam to see where I went wrong. I'll do that, as a learning experience. I think it happened because I slipped with the rotary cutter when I got to the top of that piece, so it was a little smaller. Then I forgot to adjust for that when sewing the seam, so it ended up too small.

I really, REALLY had a lot of fun today!

What Holice said. :thumbup:

Well, there aren't any quilt police, but the odd block will not "fit" in the pattern correctly. You will have to fudge and distort it or the other blocks to get it sewn in. Better to either resew it or make another.

Think of it like this: If you had a puzzle with rigid pieces, would one that is a quarter inch bigger or smaller than all the rest fit? No. Just because this is fabric, and can be stretched/gathered/etc, it still won't look as good.

Accuracy is very important and will save you a lot of headaches when sewing blocks together. That being said, in a pinch, there are ways to "fix" a 1/4" mistake without starting over if it's worth the trouble. Sometimes, if you're not matching seams, you can ease in some of the fabric and make each side of the block a little "short" when putting your blocks together. If I do that, I will put a pin in the short sides so I will notice when I'm sewing the rows together and will know to line that edge up a little shorter with the edge on the other row. If it's a cutting problem (oops, cut too small!) you can take out one or two seams and resew them a little narrower than 1/4". I was helping a friend yesterday and this very thing happened. She was working from a kit and did not have a lot of extra fabric, so I ripped out her seams, resewed them and eased them into her block. It was a headache, but it worked and it was the only way to finish her table runner with the amount of fabric she had. So.... my best advice is to be extremely accurate in your cutting and sewing that 1/4" seam, but if something goes awry, if it's less work to "fudge it" rather than starting over or ripping out seams, I'd do that.

I agree with everyone - I call myself stitchnripper because I do that a lot!!! Always aiming for that perfect 1/4 or scant 1/4 inch.

I bought a 1/4" foot and it seems to really help me. If I have my contacts in, I can't see up close and some times I can't take them out to sew just a little bit so this foot really made a difference in some quickies.

I would not use it with the current project you are doing, but I would not toss it. If you can cut it down it can be used in another project or add it it and make a mug rug or something like that.

Don't toss it! I messed up a pinwheel yesterday. Today that too small pinwheel that won't fit in with the rest is a beautiful coaster!

hi because i am a slow learner [the type that dosnt read instructions until i have to]i took a few years to catch on that a good 1/4 seam saves time-- looks good-- and works!!!!!do some small stuff to work out your way to get a 1/4 inch seam on your machine----i got myself a designated 1/4 inch foot[not all are good]and i now have seams that match mostly first time--fun all the way

As much as we want those tops to be DONE, the devil is in the details. I found out the hard way that prep work WILL make a difference. If you cut accurately, and sew accurate (consistent) seams, and press accurately AND CAREFULLY, and make sure your blocks are the same size, your top will pracically fall into place. One block out of joint and you WILL be fighting with it.

If you try to sew the 4 x 4.25 block to the rest of the blocks with the same size seams, it will be a pain in the *** .

You can "cheat/compensate" by drawing the "finished" size square on the back of the block - and then use 1/8 inch seams on the skimpy sides.

1/4 of an inch on a 4 inch (finished) block is a lot.

I would redo it.

i would never throw away a block for being too small- i would set it aside to use somewhere else-
and how important is your 1/4" seam???
you should strive for getting it right- but no one is perfect-

if you are making a 16 patch (checkerboard) square- and your seams are off just a tiny bit (1/8") --you join the first row of 4 squares...1/8" x 4--- you are 1/2" off---if you joined two of these blocks you are a whole inch off- by the time you put 6 blocks together for the first row of blocks your measurements are off by 3 whole inches!!!
those little bits add up-
sometimes it works to cut a little larger and trim down- or use a scant 1/4" but for every 1/8" off you are- every 8 seams will add to a whole inch

That bloody 1/4" seam has been and remains my nemesis!

However, I keep trying o conquer it.

Accuracy is very important if you want all your blocks and points to match.

There is some great advice in here. Myself, I would go back, take out some seams and make them smaller to make the block 4.25". If it can't be done then make a new one. Learning to correct mistakes on simple block parts now will help you later when you have to correct or adjust for mistakes on more complicated blocks.

Can we help you find the 1/4" on your machine?

precise cutting and 1/4" seam allowance,is VERY important..to keep you from becoming VERY frustated!

How true this is

THROW IT AWAY??? Quilters never throw any fabric away! LOL!! take the stitches out and replace the piece with one of proper size - happens to me all the time

Save it for somethingelse but cut a new one for your project. That 1/4 inch will definitely make a difference. Because that is your seam allowance.

I don't throw anything away. For such a small block, use the seam ripper & redo the 1/4" seam. Yes, 1/4" seams really matter if you want all your blocks to line up.

Seam allowance is extremely important for your quilt to be
completed accurately. Make another block.
Less headaches further into the quilt you go.
Making another block is better than redoing it. Taking a block apart stretches out the fabric and the block will never be right because of the distortion from ripping out the seams.
It will probably take less time to make a new block than it would take to rip all the seams out.
Make sure you cut the pieces correctly, many times a block is not the correct size because the pieces weren't cut correctly to begin with.

I have started cutting my pices an 1/8th of a inch larger then called for because of coming up small

I agree accurancy is the most important part - a little off here and there can add up to big differences later - I would remake the block if you have enough fabric - good luck

Use it as the label on the back of the quilt.[/quote]

This is what I'd use it for if you can't figure out where the problem is!

accuracy is a most importnat the 1/4 in or the scant sometimes is called for. Just practice... remember the more seams in a blk the more off it will be when finished... if to big a seams it will be to small. or to big if you are stitchint to little
ConnieF

When you get more experienced you generally can figure out how to fudge one block that is short but at first I wouldn't try to do it. And if there are several blocks off but the time you get to the end of that row, you could have major trouble, it could make that row inches shorter than the next row. A good way to keep things precise is with the use of sashing between the blocks. Then you can square them all up to the same size and 1/4 isn't all that noticeable. But not all patterns would allow the use of sashing. Accuracy is the key to having things go together smoothly and it is one we are struggle with. Try taking the block apart and putting it back together.Sometimes you can join the last tow or three in a row with a scant 1/4 inch between them make it work..

It is very important. I have learned from experience. If you watch your seam allowances and how you cut your pieces closely they your top will just fit together perfectly. Otherwise you may be ripping out and redoing alot.

My friend always tells me..... either rip it & fix it, or make it into a Mug Rug; Pot holder; or put it in your orphan block pile - add sashing & add it to a sampler quilt. If all else fails, grandkids love orphan blocks for their design wall. lol

Mary Ellen Hopkins - and several other authors - suggest doing a test with several strips of fabric to see how your cutting and sewing "measures up"

I cut strips with a rotary ruler - they end up being a smidge wider than if I cut strips with the June Tailor shape cutter.

I use "my" 1/4 inch way of sewing.

Anyway - the "test/sample" goes like this:

For example:

Cut three strips of fabric 2.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches long.
Sew them together with "your" 1/4 inch seam.
Press
Measure - the "expected" size of the unit is 6.5 x 6.5 inches

It is another of those "prep" steps that saves one HOURS of time and aggravation later.

On your "off" block - if all your other blocks are the correct size, you might have cut something wrong on the off/odd one -