I have a love/hate relationship with panels -- I love the look of the (they have some of the cutest) but squaring some of the up is a misery. I have spent WAY too much time trying to come up with a square block for the Eric Carl Brown Bear and Very series. I am trying to make a quilt with 2 - 9 block squares of Brown Bear and 2 from the Very series.
I could not square up the panels themselves (they were anywhere from 1/2" to 1 1/2" off). I tried my grandmother's trick of soaking them with starch and stretching as I pressed them to the lines. I got 1 to square up -- 3 to go. Then I added sashing to them and tried again, I now have 2 that are great, but 2 are still wonky -- did I mention that I am trying to get them to the same size with the sashing LOL. (I did not prewash this set since when I prewashed the last set I had an even bigger battle.)
I am taking a break and a breath. I wonder why I would ever buy panels, then I look at them and I love them all over again.
Next step is to wet the wayward panels and pin them to a grid and let them dry that way. Attached is a pict of the 4 -- they look pretty square from a distance.
Thanks for listening.