Are instructions wrong??
05-18-2016, 06:34 AM
#1
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Are instructions wrong??
As I had previous posted, I am working on a quilt pattern called Blueberry Cobbler from the F&P Mar 2004. My question is, they call for a 9.25" cut square and 5.25" square cut from the two fabric to make the quarter triangles. I made a mistake and cut 5.5" squares and the smaller 4.5" unfinished quarter triangle came out perfect but the larger one came out 1/4" short of what was to be an 8.5" unfinished square. I know that when making HSTs, you add 7/8". Did they print the wrong size to cut??
I can use the shorter ones and take the seam out and use them as the setting triangles. I am naming this quilt Wild Cobbler. Here is my progress so far:
I can use the shorter ones and take the seam out and use them as the setting triangles. I am naming this quilt Wild Cobbler. Here is my progress so far:
05-18-2016, 06:48 AM
#2
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I'm curious as to your steps in the construction of your quilt. Did you make a sample block first? Or, did you cut ALL of your 5.5 inch blocks (Black and White) before you began to sew? Was there any instruction such as "trim to size" to assure the proper sizing of the SMALLER X blocks, so that they would align perfectly with your multi-colored strippy pieces?
05-18-2016, 06:53 AM
#3
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When there is a case of errors in Printed Instructions, it is the responsibility of the Publisher (whether a magazine, or a company printing & selling commercial Patterns) to publish and "ERRATA" in their magazine or on their website. Have you tried to go to the website of Fons & Porter and seek their published information? The place to look in the magazines would be a month or two AFTER the date of the issue showing the pattern in question. I hope this makes sense. You might try a google search.
05-18-2016, 07:25 AM
#4
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When making HST's, the theoretical amount to add to the the "finished size" of the cut square is 7/8 inch. Adding one inch works a lot better for me.
They usually end up "really close" to what I want when I add that extra 1/8 inch - and they almost always end up "skimpy" when I add only 7/8 inch.
When making QST's - the theoretical amount to add to the "finished size" of the cut square is 1-1/4 inches.
Adding 1-1/2 inches works better for me when cutting a square into fourths than using the exact 1-1/4 inch theoretical amount to add.
If you cut the 9-1/4 inch squares (what the pattern says) to 9-1/2 inch squares and then trim down the finished units, I think it will turn out better. And then trim the quarter square units like many trim the HSt units.
My theory why I end up with "skimpy" units when cutting a square diagonally into halve or quarters -
When I cut around a template - my piece is a teensy bit larger than when I cut a square up - the "extra" when I cut around a template is taken up by the turn of the seam. Or to put it another way - my unit ends up skimpy when I cut up a square because fabric is taken up by the "turn of the seam"
That may be the reason that the squares that you cut at 5.5 instead of 5.25 inches ended up being "perfect".
They usually end up "really close" to what I want when I add that extra 1/8 inch - and they almost always end up "skimpy" when I add only 7/8 inch.
When making QST's - the theoretical amount to add to the "finished size" of the cut square is 1-1/4 inches.
Adding 1-1/2 inches works better for me when cutting a square into fourths than using the exact 1-1/4 inch theoretical amount to add.
If you cut the 9-1/4 inch squares (what the pattern says) to 9-1/2 inch squares and then trim down the finished units, I think it will turn out better. And then trim the quarter square units like many trim the HSt units.
My theory why I end up with "skimpy" units when cutting a square diagonally into halve or quarters -
When I cut around a template - my piece is a teensy bit larger than when I cut a square up - the "extra" when I cut around a template is taken up by the turn of the seam. Or to put it another way - my unit ends up skimpy when I cut up a square because fabric is taken up by the "turn of the seam"
That may be the reason that the squares that you cut at 5.5 instead of 5.25 inches ended up being "perfect".
Last edited by bearisgray; 05-18-2016 at 07:27 AM.
05-18-2016, 07:48 AM
#6
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I fortunately just cut two strips 9.25". I did check the F&P website but the oldest correction was from 2005. Most of the quilts I make are on the fly using EQ but this time I made a mistake in trusting the instructions were correct. 
05-18-2016, 08:23 AM
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLNMcZXwro4
I made a quilt like this using the Missouri Star Quilt company. I was super easy. I am not sure if you can find any help in this video.
I made a quilt like this using the Missouri Star Quilt company. I was super easy. I am not sure if you can find any help in this video.
Last edited by Annaquilts; 05-18-2016 at 08:26 AM.
05-18-2016, 09:03 AM
#9
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Your final squares are 8" and 4" finished, so 9.25" and 5.25" are the correct sizes for cutting quarter square triangles. The pattern is correct, but sometimes it's easier to cut a bit bigger and then square them off.
05-18-2016, 02:49 PM
#10
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I don't want to steal this thread, but it brings up a problem I had recently. When making pinwheel blocks I cut them a little larger than needed and when I cut them down, I lost the points and the 1/4 inch allowance. What did I do wrong?
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