women of the bible quilt
 

I am having trouble getting my blocks the right size. Do you think it would be ok to cut my squares a eight inch larger than what the pattern calls for? It's frustrating. There are 40 blocks with fill in blocks. Thank you...

How much are your blocks off? I have successfully blocked blocks that a as much as 1/4" off. Are all your blocks coming out too small or just some of them? I think if you cut all your sub-units larger you may run into other issues. I know this quilt uses different size blocks. I am thinking you need to pinpoint the reason why this is happening which can be anything from an inaccurate 1/4" S/A (or not using a "scant" 1/4) to too thick of a thread which can cause a block to be off if you have a lot of seams in it.

I agree with feline fanatic. Trimming or adding to the blocks doesn't solve the inherent problem. It's time to go back to basics. Cut those 2 inch strips. Sew two of them together. Iron them to the side and see how big is your result. It has to be 3.5". If it's bigger, then sew a fatter 1/4" seam. If it's smaller, then go to a thinner thread for sewing, ie 50 or 60 weight or learn how to sew a scant 1/4" seam. It took me a while to understand that if I wanted a quilt to go together right, I had to get my result down right. So many people think it is only about that 1/4" seam and it is not. It is about the resulting size of the block.

Edited to Add: A scant 1/4" is maybe 1 thread less than the first 1/4 that you sewed. Sometimes, it's 2 threads.

It could be your cutting. Look at some YouTube videos on how to cut. I was centering the cutting line on both sides and ended up a bit small. Measure your 2 inch strips after you cut them and see what size they really are before you start sewing.

The size that really matters is "the finished size" -

I would be willing to bet that if 10 different people were asked to make a 16 patch block (4 squares by 4 squares) from 3 inch squares that they had cut, that very few of them would be "exactly" the same size.

The difference could be caused by cutting issues. Where do you place the lines on the ruler? Be aware of the ruler line so you include it in the cut.

I was cutting pieces a little short and had to adjust the ruler line.

It also makes a difference where you place the pieces for the 1/4 inch seam.

I will admit that I do cut bigger sometimes. Then square up the block to the desired size.

Hope that helps.

I don't know how many blocks you have made. If you've made quite a few, then you are not going to want to start over. Why not pick a fabric and bring each block up to the next inch. If you float your squares on black or solid white, you may not see that some of the sizes of the blocks don't match up. Google Women of the Bible quilt images or follow this link https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...ages&FORM=IGRE

As you can see, different people have completed the quilt in several different settings.

Thank you for all the advice. I think I'll start with the cutting. Using omnigrid rulers and having hard time seeing lines when the yellow is there. I will go to youtube. Some of my blocks are ok.

You may be able to fix the blocks. Cut a replacement piece of fabric and replace in the block where it is too small. You can also take out a seam or two and re-stitch.

Another Thought: Check the needle placement on your machine. Some machines have a Left, Center, or Right option on the stitch selections.

Check the ruler measurements. Ruler lines can be off or different from others.

I started that patten and I think I remember mine being the same way. Lots of great advice here. If a block is really off, see if the math in the pattern works and you can usually figure out what went short in sewing.

If one's cutting and sewing are consistent - sometimes the pattern has errors in it.