I must agree with marybrace, it is sad to chop off an elephant foot, tiger tail, etc. when piecing charms together. I always make two clear templates with the 1/4" seam allowance before cutting fussies in any swap to avoid that issue because you can actually see where to cut the fabric & the future seam placement (1/4"). However, I can fudge a strand or two as I mark from the center using another template (4.5" in this instance) before piecing relieving me of charms that are a little too short or a little too wide. This method is especially strategic when working with smaller charms that have less room for error. Started using triangular shaped tailor chalk recently & getting better results. I always send extras in swaps because I am human!
hugs,
dj