Girlfriend

I use an index card to check my "scant 1/4 inch" VS "1/4 inch".

I put the index card where one of the lines is parallel with my pressure foot, then move the needle left or right until it sews directly on the line.

I always have one going in my drawer, because it's so easy to check.

Onebyone

I found if I use thin thread for top and bobbin it makes a big difference. 50wt 3 ply for both top and bottom is too thick.

cathyvv

That was my thought, too. I guess that is one of the reasons that it is recommended that we make one block of a quilt before we do all the cutting - it'll show mistakes early.

Not that I ever do that...

mamagrande

Good thing I had not cut all the pieces. The pattern is from an Fall 2003 Fabric Trends magazine, called Miss Milly's Garden Maze. I am using a FW with a 1/4 foot and sewing with 40wt Aurifil thread. I think that I will use GAY's suggestion and cut the "X" strips 1 3/8 as I continue to cut the strips for the other squares 1 1/4.
Thanks for all your suggestions as for moving the needle for the scant 1/4 , I would have to change machines and I usually don't change machines unless I have to.

AZ Jane

I have to agree, way more here than a "scant" anything. I would also check with the pattern maker for corrections. Way too off to be because of stretching!

bearisgray

After staring at the original photo more carefully -

I also think the problem may be with the cutting directions - not your seam allowances.

bearisgray

It appears to me that the finished width of the diagonal strips should be about 1.4 times (square root of 2, to be exact) the width of the rectangle side strips.

Example:

The side strips "finish" at 1 inch - the strips are cut 1-1/2 inches wide
The diagonal strips "finish" at 1.4 inch - (which is very close to 3/8 inch) - cut a "generous" 1-5/8 inch strip


The side strips "finish" at 1-1/2 inches - the strips are cut 2 inches wide

The diagonal strips "finish" at 1.4 x 1.5 = 2.1 inches (very close to 2-1/8 inches) - cut a "scant" 2-5/8 inch strip.

Generous - a couple of threads "over" - scant - a couple of threads "less"

maviskw

A scant or generous seam won't help much here. What you need to do is adjust the width of the strips. I think Bearisgray had the right answer. The diagonal strips need to be wider, OR the horizontal strips need to be narrower. It would probably be easier to adjust the horizontal strips.

Nanax4

So sorry that you're having trouble. So frustrating!

I think there's something wrong far more than the 1/4" thing. I'd stop cutting right now, and get it figured out before proceeding any further.

If you look at the corners of the blue and green strips, you can see that the corner point is no where near the center of the strip. The point of those long strips should point directly into the corner they're going into, with the same amount of fabric on either side of the point.

Right now, you can see that on some of the strips, one side has far less fabric than the other side. You're off more than a few threads. It looks like you're off by at least 1/4". Something's wrong, but I can't tell what. Below is an example of what it should look like.

Now that I'm looking at your photo more....it appears that your horizontal blue & green pieces are wider than your slanty blue & green pieces. If so, they're never going to fit together they way you need them to.
(Also, your blue horizontal pieces are not the same width as the green horizontal pieces.)

This could be a result of them not being cut the same width, or not being sewn with the same seam allowance, or both.

I would lay out all of your strips on top of each other to be sure that they're all the same width, and length. And that they're the length and width they need to be (versus "supposed to be" according to the pattern..I'm suspecting an error in the pattern).

Good luck! I hope this gets sorted out soon! Nothing more painful than a quilt that isn't working!!

rosiewell

I think you are absolutely right, just looking at the pic you can see the problem and I am mathematically challenged!