Is the pattern wrong??
 

I am trying to make a pineapple block quilt as you go placemat that I found in The Pineapple Passion book by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan. I don't think I can post any of the pics or directions because of copyrights. The backing and batting are cut 16" by 20". You mark a X on the batting to center you first square which the directions say should be 3 1/2". You match the corners of your square to the lines that you drew on the batting. This should center your block.

I think the center block needs to be 2 1/2 inches in order to center it on the corners of the X lines to center the block. I had a challenged quilting week last week that is spilling over to the new week!
Please help!!
Challenged Quilter

Try drawing out the block on graph paper to see what works.

I'm having trouble envisioning what the problem is.

Have you tried a search for the publisher or author to see if there is an "errata" page? You might find corrections published there.

If you arre drawing your lines from the corners of the rectangle, the opposite angles will be equal. The adjacent angles will be unequal. I have not see the pattern, but if you did draw your lines from the corners, the lines will not be touching all four corners of any squarr you put on it.

Duplicate post

bearisgray is right, in that no square will fit all 4 corners on the X if it's drawn from the corners of a non-square piece.

Thank you to everyone that posted. I am a challenged quilter but keep plugging away. One day all things will click and I will be one happy quilter!

Bearisgray, thank you for explaining that. I would just like to give up on this pattern.

The pattern has a picture of the batting marked with the X and the square piece of fabric corners lying on the marked lines of the batting - ain't going to happen! Don't you love when you have problems like this.