Could someone please explain the difference between a finished and an unfinished quilt block? My guild collects these for different reasons and they are usually requested as unfinished. I so enjoy reading every post on this forum and have finially decided to take the plunge and ask a question myself! I've also gotten alot of good advice by reading everyone's helpful responses. You gals are great! Thanks in advance. Crafty Lady :D

An unfinished block is a block still with the raw edges. All my unfinished blocks waiting to be put into the sampler I'm making are 12 1/2" square. This allows for the 1/4" seam allowance on each side for when it is sewn into the quilt top. The finished block, in the top, is then 12" square. Make sense???? Easy question, but hard to put into words.

I think you said it very well, Ducky!


Ninnie

May I help a little?
An unfinished block has not been put into a quilt yet.
The unfinished block will usually measure 1/2 inch bigger than the finished block. (as Ducky explained - - the extra half inch is the 1/4 inch seam allowance all the way around for when it gets put into the quilt)

The finished block is already into the quilt. When I see a finished quilt top, the outer blocks may still be (should be) 1/4 inch bigger than the inside blocks, since it is waiting for the next step (a border, or the binding, just depending on what the quilter is going to put in there next.)

And, when the quilt is completed, you will take your little tape measure and measure from seam to seam ... the unfinished block was x-amount of inches + 1/2 inch .... now, in the quilt, it is lacking that extra and from sewn line to sewn line is the FINISHED size of the block.

I hope we helped, and welcome to the light! LOL
Questions help those of us who think we know everything :roll: get better than we knew we had to get, eh?
My daddy always told me: No one can shoot you for asking a question. They can tell you know ... but, if you never ask, you will never find out.

Questions are a good thing, and this list is so nice to be asking questions and getting responses.

It is hard to put the answer in words. I know exactly what it is, but it is hard to put in words.

Maybe someone can put in a drawing/illustration?

Well thanks so much for the speedy reply! I thought the unfinished would just be the 12 1/2. I think they just make it confusing asking for a finished or unfinished. Thanks again for letting me ask a "dumb" question, without having to embarass myself infront of equals. :oops:

Unfinished or finished blocks can be any size.

You ARE our equal <g> ....
I have a question! I wanted to say that when you see a pattern that says: 6" block ... will the block actually be 6 1/2" unfinished?
I only ask because I didn't want to confuse crafty lady .... what I wanted to write was: If the pattern says: 6" blocks, it means that the unfinished block will be 1/2" bigger ...
then, I got shy and thought maybe I was wrong ... and, being the hit and run type person I am ... I didn't take time to go to a website to check it out.
But, since we are here <g> ... am I understanding it all correctly?

yes, omak. you understand correctly.

unless you're using seams of a size other than 1/4", unfinished blocks will always be 1/2" bigger each way than the same block finished.

crafty lady's question wasn't dumb at all. unless whoever is talking about the size blocks needed for a project is specific about the dimensions needed, it CAN be confusing.