TjNurse93

I am following a class that shows cutting a 10" layer cake into 4 squares and then cutting a 2nd 10" layer cake into 4 triangles. After cutting, I mix up all the prints and then sew the 4 squares back together and the 4 triangles together. I am told these 2 finished squares should be the same size. I am measuring all of the triangle one's a 1/4 off. Does anyone know anything about this way of doing things?

hopetoquilt

I would trim the squares down. There is no way they could be equal b/c you have to account for the extra seam in making the HST into squares...

MTS

10" squares cut in half twice will yield 9" FINISHED four patches (9.5" UNFINISHED)

10" squares cut on both diagonals will yield 8 3/4" FINISHED QST (quarter square triangles) (9.25" UNFINSHED).

And that's if all the sewing is perfect. And if you're off the 1/4", then it was. ;-) Which, strangely, doesn't help you. :roll:

(There are no HST blocks being made.)

You can trim the 4-patches down to 9.25" UNFINISHED ,or trim them all down to 9" UNFINISHED. ALL the block would FINISH at 8.5".

How annoying that the pattern is written that way.

TjNurse93

That's what I was thinking too.. :)

TjNurse93

So to keep the pattern true and centered, I wold have to cut 1/16 off each side of the 9" square ones, right?

MTS

Don't kill yourself over the 1/16" of an inch.

Take a square ruler and place the 4 1/8 line on the seams as best you can, with the intersecting point of the ruler on the center of the square.

Trim the top and right side sides.
Turn the square and now use the 9.25" measurement to square it up.

If you're off a bit on the centering, it will be invisible, but the block will be the correct size.

Before you start that, just check that the QST's are 9.25" unfinished - if they're not all the same, you might want to trim all the blocks down to 9".

I'm assuming the pattern has alternating blocks so the 4 patch doesn't have to match up with another 4 patch.

What a pain.

TjNurse93

Thanks so much! Time to get back to cutting and sewing this one today.
:)

quiltmouse

If you are still cutting, trim the 4 sq layer cake to 9 3/4 sq, then cut it into your quarter squares (4 7/8)