Help!! I need helllpppp!
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Glen Burnie, MD
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I am starting a block that has 1 1/2 wide strips that are 5 1/2 long. I am sewing the strips together in fives. So, that means if I sew them together correctly they should finish at 5' squares...right?? And, when I sew the squares together they should match up edge to edge? Well, I just can't figure out where I'm going wrong. My squares are turning out to be longer than wide and I can't sew them together edge to edge. I am trying to sew them together so that one square has the strips vertically against another strip that is horizontal and they do not match up edge to edge. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon
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Your seam allowance is too wide. You can either unstitching everything and correct your seam allowance, or I would just cot them down to be the same length as whatever your width is. It sounds like you are doing a rail fence, which should be no problem to modify this way. Good luck.
#5
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Thank you ladies. You have given me some things to look at. I think I will cut them down to fit. Mdegenhart, that does make sense and I am going to try that next.
Thanks so much for your help! I knew this would be the place to get some answers!
Thanks so much for your help! I knew this would be the place to get some answers!
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
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If your strips are 5 and 1/2 long, they will still be that length when finished. The total block probably should be 5 and 1/2 square so that when sewn together all the blocks are 5 inches in the top.
#7
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Tulsa, Ok
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After you sew the five strips together using a 1/4" seam allowance you should have a square that measures 5 1/2 " on all sides. Then when sewn next to other blocks they should measure 5" square finished. If your seam allowance is accurate at 1/4" inch and you still don't get the right size the only other thing I can think of is to double check to see if your pieces were cut accurately. If you have not already cut all your pieces, you might find it easier to do as Mdegenhart suggests and sew your 5 WOF strips together then crosscut them into 5 1/2" segments.
#9
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Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
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When you have finished sewing your strips into a block, it will measure 5 & 1/2" square.
When you have finished sewing your block into a quilt, it will "finish" at 5" square.
If your seams are pretty accurately 1/4", you're good to go.![Smile](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png)
Jan in VA
When you have finished sewing your block into a quilt, it will "finish" at 5" square.
If your seams are pretty accurately 1/4", you're good to go.
![Smile](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png)
Jan in VA
#10
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If you're well into the project, then do as others have said and square up those blocks at something less than 5.5" so that they will go together. But if you're just getting started, now would be an excellent time to perfect your scant 1/4", because it will become truly important in so many patterns where just cutting blocks to size won't be a viable solution.
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