Accuracy and Precision

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11-03-2019, 10:33 AM

#31

Pudge

Senior Member

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: Southington, CT

Posts: 819

Thanks, Bear. I ordered the Beyer book from Abebooks. For a mere $4.36 I too can master color.

11-04-2019, 06:30 AM

#32

bearisgray

Power Poster

Thread Starter

Join Date: May 2008

Location: MN

Posts: 24,660

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeadowMist

I've made 20 or so quilts and am still waiting for things to be "accurate." In fact, I'm just coming back to quilting after taking a vacation from it for a year or so. One of the reasons I stopped is because of all the little inaccuracies in my work, knowing I'm still having the same problems after 20 quilts is very frustrating. I go slow, I measure everything twice, I'm careful, I have the correct tools, I watch youtube, yet things are still wonky, my seams are off a hair or 5 here and there which at the end of a row makes a difference.

Last week I watched several youtube videos on making quarter square triangles. I followed the directions to a tee. Yet in the end just about every one was wonky and now I am doing the daunting task of cutting every square down to 3" because 3 1/4" wasn't working and even with this I'm finding some of the squares are short by a sixteenth of an inch or so. And I know when I finally get the pinwheels together, even at that point after all my careful measuring, things will be wonky again. By the end of a quilt I'm usually so fed up with my crooked lines and borders I want to throw the whole quilt in the attic. From a distance things looks fine, especially after washing it when things seem to fluff up a little and inaccuracies are hidden but if it were to be judged, I'd be doomed.

For quarter square triangles - if I cut the "theoretically correct size" for them - they always end up skimpy - even when I narrow the seam allowance a click or two.

So - I either cut around a template - or start with a square 1.5 (instead of 1.25) inches larger than the wanted finished size - and then trim down.

11-04-2019, 07:54 AM

#33

bkay

Super Member

Join Date: Mar 2016

Posts: 2,891

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeadowMist

By the end of a quilt I'm usually so fed up with my crooked lines and borders I want to throw the whole quilt in the attic. From a distance things looks fine, especially after washing it when things seem to fluff up a little and inaccuracies are hidden but if it were to be judged, I'd be doomed.

I understand that frustration. Fortunately, I joined in a block lottery last year, and made all sorts of blocks. The hostess chose blocks that were somewhat challenging, but doable by a novice. I struggled with all those HST's, log cabins, etc. to get them to come out the right size. I learned that I hate making HST's; you have to make them, press them and square them up. That's like making them twice. So, I don't do HST's. I'll probably never make a log cabin quilt. I choose simple patterns that I can make and make well. I never have to worry about my points. I just have to match where the seams meet. Bonnie Hunter, I'm not.

There are tons of patterns out there that are beautiful and easy. For me, that's the sweet spot.

bkay