Squaring up a 9 patch?
 

Is there an easy way to do this? I have checked on YouTube, but I don't
see what I,m looking for. I am sewing 2 1/2" squares together to make a 9
patch but if I square it up I,m cutting of the squares all around and the one
in the center is the only one left that is the correct size, (2") is in the middle.
What is the answer for this? Thanks in advance.
Elaine

Remember, nobody is going to go back and measure which blocks are the original size and which are not. As long as your seams are consistent and you shave a consistent amount off, then you should be able to align the blocks and make the seams match. If you have too much difference, then your seams are not consistent and you may want to go back to the beginnings and figure out where the seams get off in the first place.

I just had to deal with that topic when my HSTs came out a little wonky and I had to fudge my whirly-gigs.

When you stitch 9 2-1/2 together you should have a 2 inch center square because you sewed a 1/4 inch seam on all sides of it. The rest of the squares-all the surrounding 8 squares should measure 2 1/4 inches because you need to stitch them onto other squares. I believe the unfinished squares should measure 6 1/2 inches and the finished square would be 6 inches. In this case all squares would measure 2 inches finished. If you cut away parts of your 2 1/2 squares they will not match fit into adjoining squares in straight sets. Check to see if your 1/4 inch seam is consistent. It is easy to trail it off when you get to the far end of the seam.

My sister has a ruler that is 12.5 x 12.5 and it is great. She can just lay it on the block and go to town.

To square a 6" finished block, you want it to square to 6.5". The center block will be 2" square. The rest will be 2.25" square until you stitch to another block.

If you tried to do that & are still off, only way to get it perfect is to unsew. I have that problem right now with my 9 patch. I mis-cut and made the inner strip 1/8" too small. So I'm just changing my finished block size from 10" to 9.75". I split the 1/8" difference across the piece so my blocks are only 1/16" off on either side which a 3-year old (or most non-quilter adults) will never notice. If you're not entering it in a show, chalk it up as a good lesson, square your blocks smaller and move on. :)

If I plan to make a bunch, I will buy that size of a square ruler at Joann when they have a 50% off coupon (they have one through today). You may also need to block it & to do that you just lightly spritz with water & tack to carpet with T-shaped pins.

Here's a link:
http://youtu.be/cdUTLkNc0po

I ONLY trim blocks that I have oversized. I have used EB method of 9 patch blcoks but then I make my own changes so that I can trim them done so they are perfect. Unfortunately, her method makes two 9 patch blocks from two squares of fabric. A positive and a negative one.

I agree with Maniac and boy is that a darling quilt too. Is the EB 9 patch done some special way? Where would I find that method? I've only done it where I've cut a bazillion 2 or 2 1/2" squares and then started sewing.

I don't understand your question.

If your squares are all the same size - and your seams are all the same width - what is there to square up?

I have just completed a nine patch top. I was careful in cutting, used aurifil thread, and a scant 1/4" seam. I still had about four blocks that were too small when measuring for 6 1/2 inches to be a final 6" block. I just made four more blocks and they were fine. (I always buy a little extra fabric.) I would like to know the secret for perfect blocks every time.

I don't think it's possible to get a "perfect" block "every" time.

That is what the square up rulers are for. They keep the diagonal straight for trimming. You want the diagonals to go right through the center square diagonally, point to point. Most square OmniGrid rulers have this feature as does those That Patchwork Place square up rulers. Try it on paper or scraps first if you aren't sure and want to practice.

It doesn't seem to matter how accurate I think I am. If I'm ironing the seam allownance to the dark side, it throws the size off. If the fabrics aren't the same weight it's a problem. Sometimes the pattern isn't on the straight of grain so the patch has some bias to it when I fussy cut it and that also throws the size off. Starching doesn't seem to help either. I just have a block that is stiff and the wrong size as well.

I've finally have made peace with myself and acknowledge that I am not a perfect quilter and that's ok. If you are planning to compete with your quilt...that's a different story. You might see if you can get an experienced quilter to watch what you are doing and perhaps spot the problem for you.

This will probably win the Dumb Comment of the Day award but, why be square? If you've measured, cut and sewn correctly and carefully, isn't the slight variation a characteristic of something made by a HUMAN? A little irregularity is a nice thing, and in a large quilt with many pieces, tends to balance itself out, doesn't it? Note:

James' Law: A binding will go around a quilt of any shape.

Be careful when pressing your seams of the sewn block....you may be stretching your fabric into a larger size...thus your problem solved in the future

Draw your block out on graft paper with the 2" finished block in the center and the 2-1/4" blocks on the outside and see where you are going wrong. Then make a plastic template that you can put on top of your blocks to square. At this point my husband makes me an acrylic template with those line marks and I then use that to square up the blocks. Especially necessary when you are making small blocks.

I agree 100%. If I'm off a bit on a 9 patch (and I've made a fair few), I just keep going. I don't trim down a 9 patch that is a little off--I just center it on the strip/piece I'm working with. The beauty of cotton is that things can be pulled or shoved as needed to fit. :) If poly is part of the equation, things are a lot tougher.

The reasoning behind squaring up is that it makes it so much easier to match seam lines if everything is square and the same size. If you've got a bunch of wonky blocks they don't go together very well and it just leads to frustration, at least for me. No one us perfect, but it is possible to see a nearly perfect block, or so I've been told, lol.

Sometime I do feel there is too much emphasis on perfection rather than the finished quilt. If each thread is perfected to death, do you ever see the beauty of the whole quilt?

For just the reason you describe, I learned assembly line quilting from Eleanor Burns. Her book, "Irish Chain Quilts" has the method broken down into individual steps. I still use than method because it is just way more accurate for me. Measure at each step, and you are home free. Once in a while I might have to sliver trim, or resew to get the quarter inch, but that is not her fault....lol!

If poly is part of the equation, don't come crying to me!