I agree, blocks weren't squared up first and your seams are all different sizes....hang in there, just takes alot of patience :thumbup:

No Magnets ever! cannot emphasize this enough. if you want a guide, get painters tape, slice into the roll and remove a 1/8-inch-deep chunk and stick this on the machine as a guide.

I teach quilting and have also found that by making half square triangles this way it leaves enough that you can square it up. I think you will only need to do 2 squares.

I found that out. I have a question. I have a Singer machine and how do I tell where the 1/4 mark is to put my edge of the material against when I sew. Mine is not marked.
sharon

I would like this explained a bit too. I know what the words mean, but in theory how do I do it? I use a 1/4 inch foot with a rail. If I don't have the fabric bumped up against the rail, that makes sense, but then how do I keep the scant 1/4 inch consistently scant?

I bought one of those little magnetic strips. Brought it home, put it on my sewing table and I haven't seen it since!!! So I just practiced and practiced until I get my scant 1/4" seams at least 95 % of the time.

Pressing (with an up and down motion) is very important when pressing seams and blocks. The pressing surface needs to be firm, not soft like a mattress because the fabric sinks in and is stretched out of shape. The right hardness of the pressing surface is a layer of COTTON batting covered with a layer of canvas or ironing board fabric. I learned this by experience and a video by Sharon Schambers tells you about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGbXou_u4c

THis will help in addition to the other suggestions that have been offered.

Good luck, accuracy comes with experience!!

first thing I did was break that little rail thingie off..hated the thing. now I can run the edge a hair off the fabric to get a scant quarter inch. works every time.

:thumbup:

To measure 1/4 inch, you can put your needle down and use your metal measuring guide against the needle, put masking tape down perpendicular to the needle, and use it for a guide. A scant 1/4 inch means 1 thread or two less that the 1/4 inch. When you press the seam to the dark fabric, it seems to use up a little of the measurement. There should be some tutorials about pinning the seams so that they end up matching exactly.

Slightly less than 1/4/ inch.