Tolerance
 

How much plus or minus from the expected measurement do you consider acceptable when you make an item?

For example - if the unfinished block size is supposed to be 12.5 inches - and this was for a group project - what measurements would you consider acceptable (and easy to work with)?

(I also know that many of you are miracle workers in making almost anything/everything 'work' - but if you could have your druthers - ?)

I know that 'exact' is just about impossible to attain - so how much leeway do you allow yourself?

Even manufacturers of low tolerance items have a plus/minus from the expected measurement.

For me, my tolerance would be 12.25 to 12.75 inches if 12.50 is the target size.
Because - I could make 1/8 inch seams on the smaller one and the points would not look overly floaty, and I could fairly easily ease in the extra 0.25 inch on the larger one.

Since I'm still a pretty new quilter, I allow myself a LOT of leeway! :D I use the lowest common denominator approach where everything gets trimmed down to the smallest block and sashing makes up the difference. But so far I haven't made blocks that had points or anything that would really show the block had been trimmed.

Plus I tell myself there's a certain amount of charm in a slightly wonky quilt. Though honestly I prefer things to line up, I'm just not all that skilled yet. My first quilt has blocks that are probably a half-inch off - thankfully I've gotten a LOT better! LOL

For my own use - whatever works. For a group project - probably 1/8 to 1/4" depending on the size of the block. But maybe that's why I seldom do group projects. When I first started quilting I somehow wound up putting together all the blocks from a group, and it was for a quilt meant for a raffle. I wound up having to make extra blocks to replace the ones that just would not fit. I wouldn't want some other quilter to be saddled with blocks that I didn't have the skill or patience to make well.

for swaps- when a 12 1/2" block is supposed to be swapped there is seldom any (tolerance)---a 12 1/2" block is expected- if you tend to not make your blocks precise you would be best off to make them a little large-then trim to the proper size before sending for the swap- often if your blocks are not correct they are returned unswapped.
if i am working on something for myself i try very hard to make my blocks the size they are supposed to be- even an 1/8" off will add up to a whole inch in only 8 pieces---if my first block does not come out right i figure out why- if i continue to have problems i try to adjust so they are larger & can be trimmed to size.
if your blocks are continuously 1/4" off it only takes 4 to be a whole inch off---if following a pattern that can really cause nothing to work- it is generally best to strive to get them right- not allow yourself a (tolerance)

I always square up my blocks before I start sewing together...I can't make them bigger, but I can get larger ones to get a little better. I try to find the smallest one and see if I can get the rest to match. If not I do smaller seams on that one or two and the go from there.

For myself as long as they're all the same size I'm generally okay with it unless it's a real fussy block. For swaps I make sure my own blocks are the perfect measurement for the swap. I discovered I don't have much tolerance for other people's tolerance so I don't swap.

If it is for a group project or swap ... 1/8 inch or less what I find exceptable to receive . If its my own work , and I am very critical of my own .. its less than 2 mm...even then I would be dissapointed in my lack of precision.

1/8" is my tolerance. If the block is for a swap or group quilt I make sure it is the exact size or bigger to trim to exact size. No tolerance in swaps for me. I have been in too many swaps where close enough was considered by some as okay to send. It is not.

Ty, I agree.
especially if the pattern has a point and that extra 1/4" would chop off the points.
Swaps are great because everyone should aim to do their best. With that in mind, your skill will improve.

First off, I don't enter swaps because I tend to get distracted and end up starting a new project or completing a project I haven't thought about for months and would probably miss the deadlines. However for myself I really strive for the correct size (no tolerance) in a pieced quilt. As someone already stated a very small + or - tolerance can add up to a very difficult quilt to put together. Back to being easily distracted...maybe that is why I make so many machine applique quilts. It is very easy to cheat and still come out ok. My background square is usually about 1/2" big so that I can trim them all down to the same size.

That's it for me too - 1/4" either way

For my own work, consistency is what matters, not a specific measurement. I don't use commercial patterns, so I'm not aiming for someone else's finished size goal. Consistency, however, pretty much means zero tolerance.

The blocks in the last swap/group project I was in measured from 11.25" to 13". I no longer do swaps...that one ate up the last of my 'tolerance'. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...asic/blink.gif

No tolerance. If you work to KNOW where exact 1/4" is on your machine you won't have to worry about it.
And start with pressed starched fabric. Unpressed fabric will grow when you start pressing the seams.

The best way I've found to find that perfect 1/4" on the various machines I've used over the years is start with a pile of 1-1/2 squares and make 9 patches. It is pretty easy to get your 3 patches stitched together to come out a perfect 3-1/2". But when you stitch those 3 strips together into the 9 patch you can quickly find the block is short in one direction.

I probably stitched 2 dozen blocks getting it right on my new Horizon because there are so many setting variables.
Once I had it consistently turning out 3-1/2" square blocks I used a sharpie and wrote those setting on my machine along with which foot.

Do it right and take pride in your hard work and to honor the expense and time that goes into a quilt.
I too have assembled group quilts, it's kinder to just return blocks that aren't right.

I agree, I learned back with I first started quilting to check my 1/4" seam and always square up my blocks. It saves so much later on, when you find your quilt is not straight or things don't line up. But on another note, I also find I can work around something if I have to, adjust or whatever, but I prefer not to, becasue my first choice is to rip it out and redo it.

Always be proud of what you make, not perfect, but close and proud of it. But enjoy what you do.

I aim for precision because 1/16th-1/8th of an inch multiples over time and can make your quilt off an inch or two and can be the reason it is not square, has puckered blocks, etc.

I don't participate in swaps but, if I did, I would make sure my block was exact. If the block is not too far off in measurement, this can typically be achieved by "blocking" the block. Sharon Schamber has several videos on Youtube that show how to do this with starch and iron. If I could not achieve exact measurements, my tolerance would run a max of 1/8th of an inch.

If I was involved in a swap - it would have to be exactly 12.5 inches so that they could be sewn together.

Think about this for a moment - if we sew w/ 1/4 inch seams, a finished square that is 12.25 inches has almost zero allowance for seams. Make the square a smidge larger and trim it down to the precise final measurement.

Wow. This "tolerance" is one of the reasons I rarely do group swaps. To me, 12.5" means 12.5". I've been frustrated in the past having too narrow of a seam to feel confident in the seam integrity after several washings when I've received less than accurate blocks in a trade.

Jan in VA

I'm glad I read this thread. I thought it was just me. I don't do swap anymore because I don't have the tolerance for close enough. If I need 12.5" then that's what I do. If it take a try or 2 then so be it. I was afraid I was being inlisted in the Quilt Police. I don't mean to judge others so if close enough is ok for them, it's their quilt.

If I was trying to put them together, I could live with an 1/8" seam, if necessary. If the block was too large, I could just trim it.

On the other hand, if I was sending my own block to someone else, I would keep working on it, until it was the right size . . . . I'd be too embarrassed, to send something obviously wrong. :eek:

I don't belong to any swaps or groups. I tolerate whatever I need to if it is my work. I have figured out most everything I want to do. I would not want my work examined by anyone else.

To me 8 1/2" = 8 1/2", etc. That was the biggest learning curve for me coming from apparel sewing. Once I learned it, I have no tolerance.

I err on the side of someone sent me their best effort. Allowing for the inconsistencies of some rulers and mats I don't sweat it. I will find a mutual color to frame the smaller blocks and trim the over size ones. I am the last person to say my way is the only way. And I have a beautiful set of blocks awaiting my finishing appliquing the central theme block.

I have sweated blood over exact 12 1/2 inch squares for a project only to end up having to make several new blocks because the constant unsewing made holes in the fabric. Prewashing and using the same rulers and mats through out as well as marking my 1/4 inch on my machine all seem to have helped, however I still have the occasional oops.

I also have very little tolerance. But I have learned that using sashing between blocks--and marking the 'expected' points on the sashing-can make a huge difference. It's such a persnicketty thing, but marking where the blocks should start and end often means stretching just that 1/8 inch or easing in that 1/4 inch per block and ends up making the whole project less stressful.

I do not participate in swaps. Heck, I don't have time to finish my own stuff much less work to someone else's time table. Right now I have a Winnie the Pooh baby quilt half completed on my table, ideas for a doggie blanket for a co-worker in my head and have just ordered the fabric for my DGD's big girl quilt--design in limbo but percolating!!

If your squares are constantly off in measurement, check your seam allowance. There lies the truth. I am completing a lovely, labor intensive quilt from Japanese Quilt Inspirations by Susan Briscoe and found that I could see the variance immediately so I began to check each piece when the seam was finished with my small Dritze Ruler to improve accuracy. I would make corrections right away, not wait until the block was finished. All I have to do now is press the last two borders and it is ready to be admired....and sent to the quilter as it is 75" square....a lot for me to handle. I will be 75 years old this week and feel this could be my Swan Song....the best ever. It is worth the extra effort to be satisfied with the work of your hands.

For a group project I think they ought to be spot on.

I'm picky about everything, from start to finish. (Plus I don't do swaps.) I make my blocks and all its parts the exact size they are supposed to be. I detest seams & points that don't meet where they should. This sometimes requires some seam ripping and some adjustments; better that than the alternative of having quilt blocks that do not go together properly.

I always try to get mine as perfect as possible because that 1/8" gets multiplied & by the time you're at the end of a block or a row, you're way off. So I just try to "do it right" in the first place.

I have to be right on for a swap. I've been doing the Craftsy BOM (free) and all my blocks except 1 were exactly 12 1/2. One had one corner off by 1/16. I wanted to redo it, but when I tried, the block turned out funky, so I kept the original and put a pin in the short side so when I go to put it together, I'll know to adjust it so it will fit.

In my third year of quilting I joined a couple of online groups and was really into block swaps. All the blocks up to that point were to be 12 1/2 inches. I put a lot of effort into making sure they came out at 12 1/2 inches and beautifully pressed. Then I folded them up and sent them off. I made some cyber friends along the way and when I received their blocks back I noticed that there was a lot of "tolerance". Because I was still kind of new to quilting and didn't trust myself to "fudge" the end product, some of those swap blocks I received I ripped out and remade. The kill point for swaps for me was trying to make the perfect 3.5 inch nine patch. I put in hours to make them come out right. I had lots and lots to make, got lots and lots back with lots and lots of "tolerance". So I guess the bottom line is how much time do you want to spend making sure your blocks won't make your quilt grow out of proportion? If it is not as important or you know you can adjust with sashings then the tolerance factor isn't really an issue for you. But it may be a huge issue for someone else receiving those blocks.
Heidi

I will also do that - put a pin or mark the 'off' side somehow so I remember it - 1/16 off on a 12-1/2 block could have been caused in so many places - even in the final pressing - I can live with 1/16 variance quite easily.


I'm glad to know that there are also others on this board that prefer to have things be the intended size.

NOTE: To the engineers out there - I know that due to the nature of fabric, we aren't going to get 'exactly exact' - but doggone close is good!

ANOTHER NOTE: This is only MY preference - I've just found that it's easier to assemble things when the units are consistent and they lay flat.

this is most of the reason i have stopped doing block swaps. if the block swap is to be 12.5" then that is what i am expecting to receive, no tolerance included. i was amazed at how many swappers thought it was ok to send something less than the required size. if the block pattern allows me to make it a pinch larger and cut down without losing points, then that is what i will do but i always work to make the correct block size.

Hello if you want your quilt to fall apart 1/8" seams will do it! You can fudge a tread or two but never 1/8" 12.5" means 12.5" easy to check your self and make sure that you are sewing that 1/4" seam. Also accuracy means having balance in the thread you use. Do not use a heavy thread piecing it will automaticly throw off your seams. Sorry machinists or engineers we are not but accuracy counts for everything. We can always go bigger and trim to exact but smaller is just that smaller it dose not get bigger no matter how hard we try. I have received a lot of blocks from swaps or raffles, and there are always the ones that are small don't ask me why that is the challenge to be able to use those blocks. I love the wonky log cabin to be able to enlarge the blocks but wind up with a nice quilt.

Amen! I to have received blocks like that out of 40 blocks I managed to find 24 that were the correct measurement 9.5" They went from 10" - 8 1/4"

I'm with you Sewnoma! I try to get exact...just does not always happen... My paper piecing is never exact either...and I have lines to sew on! Some came out 1/8" smaller than the others...but this butterfly block from Quilter's Cache is pretty forgiving if you need to fudge a bit. I'm adding a 2-1/2 sashing (cut 3") to seperate each block...so far, can't really tell there is anything amiss. I'll be quilting the black sashing in either rainbow thread, or gold metallic..so that should take the eye off any tiny amout it's off. I'll be hanging it at the back of a booth for display...so, no one will get that close! LOL.

I do longarm quilting & don't mind the wonky tops...they help me hone my skills!

accurate cutting
 

Accuracy starts with the cutting. Before the cutting is the optional washing and for me, mandatory starching and ironing. If you use enough steam and starch, you may avoid the washing. If your cutting is off by a thread or two, that's where some of the problems start. I make sure the ruler line is ON the fabric, not off, and I use dots of sandpaper on my rulers to hel avoid slippage. Fine thread top and bobbin also help keep those 1/4 inch seams slim. I'm amazed how much a thread can affect the seam.

This is exactly why I quit making the blocks for our quilt guild. They give us a pattern, it is called a lottery block, because if you bring one, your name is put in the hat, and whoever's name they pick gets all the blocks. Anyway, mine never seem to come out exactly right, no matter what! For my own quilting, I always just allow extra so I can trim to make it right!

I've swapped a lot over the years and the blocks need to be within 1/4 inch of the stated size - slightly larger is better than too small. I usually make extras so that I can send something in that is within 1/8 inch of the requested size. I can't make a block that doesn't fit larger, but I can fudge to make it a teeny bit smaller. I hate when people cut blocks down because they always cut off the points. I can fudge, so please don't square them off!

Some people are really into extreme accuracy. More power to them. They are likely the award winners. I want to keep the fun in my quilting and if I had to be that exact, I'd drop swapping entirely. I try to be as accurate as I can. In all the years of swapping, only TWO blocks were not usable or adjustable- they were simply too small. I was able to remake one to make it larger, but the other I just stuck in my orphan block box to use on an orphan quilt.

I just joined a swap here.....It's been 2 1/2 yrs. since I've been in one because the tolerance was just too loose. Not that I'm perfect, far from it, but I do think that if the swap calls for a certain size, it should be within 1/8th or less of that stated size. If not, don't send. I don't think that's being "snarky". It's OK to fudge one or two of ones received, but not a whole bunch and like many have said, NEVER short edges that have points....NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!