Tolerance?
 

For some specifications, there is a plus-minus allowed for the size of a part.

When you are making (or trying to make) - for example - a 12.5 inch unfinished block - how much larger or smaller than the expected/targeted/hoped for size are you willing to deal with?

How much fudging/easing/stretching are you willing to do when assembling blocks into a quilt top?

Because I prefer not fighting with my blocks, I've learned that it is easier - in the long run - to have them all approximately the same size. They go together so much easier then.

For me - 12-3/8 to 12-5/8 inches would be a tolerable size range for a 12-1/2 inch (unfinished size) block.

I have also learned - that the smaller the block - such as the Dear Jane ones (Jane A. Blakely Stickle quilt) - the less wiggle room.

If I am using sashing I don’t worry too much up to 1/8. If the block is very basic with minimal seams to line up (such as a 12” block with seams meeting at 4” increments), I don’t mind a bit of easing.

if the block is complicated with many small pieces and multiple seams to align I try to be perfect and will keep ripping until it is. Fortunately I don’t make a lot of complicated blocks.

i do notice the words “that will do” coming out of my mouth from time to time when I am making the 22nd block out of 25. That doesn’t happen on 5 out of 25. In other words the longer I work on a project the less of a perfectionist I become. I move onto the ‘let’s just get this over with’ stage!

What usually happens for me is an uneven edge, with the block shearing off at the corners. This happens even when I have meticulously checked the size of all of the units and sub-units. I can cope with a generous 1/8 in. seam allowance.

Funny...I've been thinking of that word a lot lately. "Patience" and "tolerance," go hand in hand, but they mean different things in the sewing world.

I think that my quilting tolerance has become smaller over the years, as I've become a better quilter. Still, I'm far from perfect, so for making blocks, I would say that they should be within 1/4" to 1/8" of each other. I don't like to stretch seams too much and so, I find myself re-doing seams, instead of stretching, in order to make things go together better. Also, I'd rather have all blocks off by an 1/8" and create a slightly, small quilt, than to try the almost, impossible task of making them the correct size.

I'm too much of a perfectionist. If a block is supposed to come out at 12.5", I will alter seams in it until it does.

I would find that range acceptable for me for a 12 1/2 inch unfinished size. I look at the "wiggle room" in terms of percent of the whole block. That 1/4 inch range which you gave is an error of only 2% of the size. Also if you assume that the range is tolerable, you more than likely have a few at the larger size and a few at the smaller size and that amount can be eased in.

For my blocks 6" or less, they need to be spot on. In a 6" block, 1/4" wiggle room is a 4.5% error and for a 4" block it is a 6.25% error. I have been known to rip apart small blocks to get them perfect.

If I am using sashing - I use the same thought process. A 1/8" variance on a 3" sashing is not that noticeable imho but a 1/8" variation on a 1" sashing ?? - I can pick it out a mile away!! lol

But - I am not a happy camper when a 12-3/8 inch block is next to a 12-5/8 inch block.

On my own blocks I will give about about 1/16 of an inch if the block is to small. Of course I love it if it si a bit larger so I can square it up with a hair to trim off. On blocks I make for an exchange they have to be as close as possible to 12.5.

If I have at least 1/4" away from any points I'm happy. I'll deal with the other stuff as I go.

I try not to have any to minimal variance. Once my blocks are done, I trim them all to the recommended pattern size, sure makes it a lot easier when piecing the top. Very little easing in when I do this important (to me) step. I have also been known to use featherweight interfacing on the back of my blocks too, helps to eliminate the give when piecing the top. I just have to much OCD in me. 🤪

I tell my students, "A good quilter is not necessarily a perfect seamstress, she learns how to compensate as she goes." I think we can compensate for up to 1/8" here and there.

As long as all my blocks are the same, I don't care if they are larger or smaller than the recommended size. But if I'm making a block for a swap, I will make one larger and cut it down to the accurate size, often floating the image in the center.

I'm pretty much zero tolerance, but I did notice when I was doing the final pressing on a top today that a couple of the HSTs were 1/8" off. No, I'm not going to try to fix them at this point. I want that quilt done!

Tolerance
 

As a LA that wiggle room counts. This is often what responsible for the little tucks on the quilt top. If one block is more relaxed than the next it moves. This is particularly important where pantos are being used as the operator is not necessarily looking at the quilt during the process. This also applies to mixing stable fabrics with stretchy ones.

This is a great discussion for me as I was just thinking about this two days ago as I was trimming a couple hundred HST's. The construction method, in my opinion left zero tolerance for variance in seams or cutting. It was 8 at a time HST's from an 8 3/4” block. I ended up having to pick out and re seam several that I could not quite get a 4” HST from and it involved moving my seam over Maybe 2x the thread width. Some came out pretty darn close and some I only had to trim a hair or small wedge on two sides of the HST. In hindsight, I think I’d rather cut the starting square even an 1/8” larger. I’d rather trim than fiddle with trying to take a slightly smaller seam allowance. I take so much time to cut and sew accurately, I feel I don’t get a fraction done that others seem to be able to whip up in no time. I have learned however, as other people have commented, it’s easier to get the quilt together if the units and blocks are put together as accurately as possible. I hate dealing with excess areas in a quilt I’m quilting and It annoys me if I cut off points or mismatch points or seams in the construction of my quilt. So that is kind of my “yard stick” for my level of accuracy. If I think I can get away with a little fudge factor, I roll with it, but I continue to strive for perfection, that will likely remain elusive! I do not strive to be a show quilter, so it’s all good https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

I have also become aware of the fact some fabrics stretch more one way than another - so that if I decide to "press" a block like I'm rolling out pie crust, sometimes I do get more stretching in one direction than another.

Yes, I do know that I am supposed to "press" - but I have had good results doing the rolling out the pie crust method. But - I am super finicky about cutting everything on grain and having no bias edges (when possible) on the perimeter of a block.