pennyhal2

After each block

WMUTeach

After each block. I am not known for accuracy or precision. Working on those skills and improving tremendously. I like the results when I measure after each block. For me, it is less tedious than measuring at the end only to find I have blocks that are too small or that will lose points if I trim them up.

Macybaby

I also trim after each block, but I do my blocks in sets, so it's normally sew up a group and trim, them move on to the next.

I'm finding I do better if I get up and do a bit of standing a little more often. In the end, I can sew a lot longer in total if I'm not sitting for so long in one stretch. Usually I'm out of my chair at least every 15 mn except when binding a quilt. And since I have an LA, quilting is 100% standing for me.

KalamaQuilts

same here. If I'm making 50 or whatever I check them after making the first 5 and if they are good I don't worry about it for the rest of those units. I always check the finished blocks, don't want any surprises when assembling the quilt.

cashs_mom

This is what I do. It helps keep me accurate.

Iceblossom

I at least check all my blocks/sub-units to see if they are close enough, and started cutting large and trimming down maybe 10 or so years ago. It was a combination of issues that led to my change. Now I feel that since I'm going to handle my units enough to check for accuracy, I might as well make it worth my while and add trimming to the production methods.

It didn't occur to me to trim up blocks for many years. For my first 20 or so years I tried to be very accurate with my cutting and piecing and for the most part I did just fine. I'm not sure what the impetus was, maybe just a complex block design?? but I felt it necessary to double check my subunits and found quite the variation. Even then I usually "made them fit", gradually I went from checking to trimming, I sew a bit scant and so my projects didn't match the measurements (usually a bit larger) I was given which was especially noticeable on borders.

When techniques spread like sewing on the diagonal of a small square and cutting off the excess to make HST units I was not very complimentary of "fabric wasteful techniques" but I enjoyed the speed and accuracy they gave me. I did a number of tests and found (for me) the speed of cutting and sewing was way faster and I didn't really waste that much fabric, usually just a couple of inches per row which was often waste/the wrong size of what I was cutting. Even with small triangles and a lot of pieces, I don't think I've ever needed more than one extra row of pieces.

I had already learned hard lesson that quilting fabric was already no longer 44/45" as was standard when I began (and worked in a fabric store), but that I was often lucky to get 40 inches of usable fabric per strip so had adopted the idea of "better to have 1/2 yard too much than 3 inches too short" as my fabric battle cry. Also about the same time I mostly stopped making what I call "planned" quilts with just a few fabrics to more scrappy

magicmoonmusings

I square up each unit as I go. When I start sewing them into blocks, I square up each block as I go.

sewbizgirl

I sew all the blocks and then press all and square them up. If another round of pieces is then sewn on the blocks, I repeat the pressing and squaring up after sewing all the second rounds.

stitch678

When l sew, l sew in " batches" according to how much time l have or what mood l'm in ( relaxed? restless?) . I press and square each batch before filing away into ziplock / project box. Most of my smaller pieces are done in 8 to 12 per batch.