Well…lesson learned the hard way.
 

This is my first quilt and I decided on a super simple layer cake friendly, squares with sashing. On all the tutorial videos I watched people just pull from the layer cakes or charm packs and go. Well Now I have two rows together and my sashing doesn't line up vertically in one area because one of my blocks isn't 10 inches and another is 10.25! So its off by about a quarter. I can't even fix it by at least taking in the larger square because then my length won't be right on the row matchup, which somehow by a miracle it does because one was 1/4 short and one was 1.4 long. Sheesh!

Guess my lesson today is to always square up and make sure my squares are really 10 inches even on pre-cuts. Live and learn! lol I'm actually afraid to see what the next row does. :hunf:

Layer cakes, charm square packs, etc.....aren't always the same for sure. Sorry for your trouble but good lesson learned.

What if you rethink the pattern? Make it look like a brick wall, offsetting the blocks so that they don't intersect at the corners. Just pin a couple of rows together to see if you like it. These are called design decisions by the quilter. lol

Edited to add: You will have to cut the end block in half on the alternating rows and sew it to the other end. You could lose 1/4" by this extra sewing line, but that won't be a big deal.

Quilting is about having fun, creating something that is yours and enjoying yourself.

Have quilting! Barb

Isn't it though? Well, quirks are good, right? :) At least I learned it early, and I definitely was prepared for some bumps in the road.

Oh hmmmmm, it would make my quilt a bit skinnier but what the heck that is a great idea! I'll lay it out and see once I'm done with the rows. Thanks so much!

Sometimes it's not the size of the precut that's the problem (although it often is). Check your seam allowance too, and be sure that the edges of the squares are perfectly lined up when you sew the seam.

Yeah I definitely have a quarter inch seam, it's the first thing I checked. I'm thinking of laying them out like bricks as suggested and adding fabric to the short ends instead of cutting them shorter, but ugh, math! This ought to be entertaining for everyone in my house tonight. ;)

I will pray for you... Hugs

:mad:I hate that! I recently had to cut my charms to 4 1/2 inches because some were not 5 inches.

I once made a quilt that alternated a start with the short block and then the next with the long block. Each row had the same number of short blocks and long blocks, which I had measured very carefully and cut out with a rotary cutter. When all was said and done, every other row was 6 inches short!!! I puzzled over it for the longest time, and then called my husband in to help me figure it out. He's a land surveyor, which means he measures land for a living. Even he couldn't make sense of it! We measured everything and never did figure out what the problem was. I ended up trimming the long rows and adding some sashing, and no one ever knew!