That is what I would do. Actually I have done this many times.

While I don't have a ¼" foot, my machine is marked at that spot and there is also a kind of divider on the foot itself. I've used both as guides. I would never claim to sew perfect seaming, but I don't think they are terribly far off. However, as you say if each seam is off by a couple of threads... One of my accessories is a "cloth guide" which you can put in several places to guide your seams to supposed perfection. I tried it for about an hour and found it to be not only often in the way but also not necessarily more accurate than using the marks already on my machine.


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OK, just to be sure, I got out my 6" ruler and checked seams on a couple of blocks. They are ¼"and yet the blocks are not perfectly square. I can only assume they are all ¼". Something else is causing the slight skew.

Very often, it is your pressing. I too, am guilty of moving the iron instead of just setting it on the seam. Here is a little trick that I have used: Take the largest (or most wonky) block. Lay it on your ironing board and pin it down at the correct size (You can mark the size using two rulers butted together as was previously stated). This may mean stretching it at some places and pushing it together at others. Now dampen it thoroughly and leave it overnight. See if it is still as wonky in the morning. Dampening the fabric allows the stretched fibers to go back closer to their original size.

Try a couple before you start cutting things down.

And next time, square up after every round. Takes more time initially but ends up saving frustration later.

I like the pattern very much! Can't give you any help with the wonkiness, though - my blocks are always off, even when I think I've sewn a perfect scant 1/4 inch!

Square up after every round? Hmmmm... I thought of that but was afraid it would mess things up. Live and learn.

I discovered with log cabin blocks it's just not all that crucial if the outside logs end up wider on one end than the other. The main thing is for the blocks to be all square and the same size.

But you would square off those ends which are not quite the same, wouldn't you? Otherwise you could end up with your whole quilt top put together askew.

I just went back and re-read this whole thread. Exactly what is the difference in measurement between the smallest and the largest block? And as for squaring up without a large enough ruler, find a seam line on one block and use that same seam on all your blocks as your reference point, when measuring.

I trim mine after each row around. A smidge then doesn't show as much as when the block is done.

That makes sense. Honestly, the difference isn't all that much and the "wonkiness" isn't all that much. I said in the first post that they're only slightly off, but they are not perfectly square and I know they ought to be in order to get a nicely squared top from them. Once I am done with all the blocks (about a third of them are done so far) I will devote a day to measuring carefully and addressing their size before piecing them together. It also may be that in the meantime I can find a larger square ruler within my price range, which would help a lot. We're going to my father's tomorrow and there is a very nice quilt shop within about 30 minutes of his home. Maybe I can find time to go there.

Thank you, Ginger.