Tothill

There are so many variables on finished block sizes, I am glad I am not a perfectionist. I can appreciate the work that goes into a perfect quilt, but for my own quilts done is better than perfect.

I do try to determine where to stitch to have the correct sized block with each project, but I use a mix of washed and unwashed fabrics in my quilts (I do not wash precuts), some of the fabric may be starched, I use different types of fabrics, regular quilting cottons and batiks in the same project and sometimes I commit the cardinal sin of using more than one machine to piece my quilt.

Tartan

Bonnie Hunter says that when cutting, make sure the cutting line is ON the fabric. Thus really helps to start out with your pieces the right size yI begin with. Aurifil thread or similar is thin and takes up less space for the fold over. When all else fails, over cut and trim using the center out of the 4 patch as your guide for correct size.

EasyPeezy

Agree with everything QuiltE said. I feel your pain.
Do you have a 1/4" foot with the edge guide? Some people like it
and some don't. Some of us need all the help we can get.
I know I couldn't sew a perfect 1/4" without it.

Edit: It also helps to starch your fabric well before cutting.

Onebyone

My problem was my cutting. There was just a tad difference in my cutting per piece. A tiny fraction makes a big difference when the block is made. I make sure my ruler mark is on the fabric all the way to the left of the ruler mark. I press my seams open so no fold over. I bought a Go die cut machine and that solved most of my problems with cutting.

Prism99

Aside from everything that others have mentioned, I have to ask if you are using a physical barrier while sewing your seams? I find that using a barrier helps me sew seams much more uniformly compared to when I was just eyeing it based on a marking on the machine bed, and way better than when I was trying to eyeball it with a quarter-inch foot. There are other types of physical barriers, such as this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Guidelines4qu...dp/B005NGX8M8/
Some people use a stack of post-it-notes. I like molefoam because it is less expensive and I can make it as long as I want. Here is a link to it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Scholls-Mo...dp/B0009MI9CA/

zozee

You are not alone. The churn dash blocks I just made were supposed to be 4.5 but did they all turn out that way the first time? Nope, lots of trial and error (and more errors). And that was not 4-patches. It was two strips 2.5 sewn together which sounds almost as easy as breathing. Turned out to be like breathing with a sinus infection.

Stitchnripper

I am a member of that club too. So are several members of my UFO club. I do cut with the line on the fabric. I do press vs. iron. I use the same thread top and bobbin, and I still must be doing something wrong. But, unless there are points to contend with, I don't worry about it. I just quilt for my own pleasure. Mostly everything comes out fine enough.

platyhiker

I suspect that many folks not getting blocks the correct size may not be cutting accurately - that was one of my issues. It's really important to to have the measurement line of your rule *on* the fabric, not right beside it. (I like to have it about one thread in from the edge.) Once you are cutting fabric consistently, the thing to do is sew some test pieces and figure out where exactly the edge of fabric need to be to get the desired *finished* size, and then put marks or a device on your sewing machine so that you can consistently sew with the fabric there. (I like to use about 2 mm of post it notes taped down.))

Remember, there's nothing really magic about the 1/4" seam allowance - the thing to focus on is the finished size. (So, people who consistently put the measurement line beside their fabric (instead of on it) when cutting, and then use an appropriately "scant" 1/4" seam allowance may be able to achieve the desired finished size.) The tutorial that PaperPrincess posted a link to is a good way to determine whether you are sewing too large or too small of a seam allowance.

Irishrose2

Did you prewash your fabric? I had a quilt store fabric that I hadn't prewashed shrink so much when I pressed the block that it distorted the block.

Jingle

I am not upset if my blocks aren't the same size. My needle will not move on either of the two machines i use all the time. I no longer try intricate quilt patterns. I am making quilts for kids in foster care at Christmas time and some for myself. I am trying to use up a bunch of scraps.

I think using my June Taylor strip cutter helps to make my cutting as close to perfect as I could get it.