How ro make an accurate quilt block

The two most important parts of the whole project are accurate cutting (measure twice, cut once), and making sure your seam allowance is a scant 1/4".

Some folks like to cut pieces a bit larger to give themselves a bit of fudge factor, which is totally fine ... my thought is to strive to get your pieces cut absolutely accurately. I find I am much more accurate when I am focused on one thing, relaxed, and paying total attention to what I am doing. I don't like to redo things or try to figure out how to fix things -- at least in my quilting :) In my kitchen it's a totally different story.

How do you attain a scant 1/4" seam? by measuring over and over until you get it right. A scant 1/4" generally means 1 or 2 threads less than 1/4". The thought might occur that it's only off by 1/16" which by itself would be no big deal. But what if there 8 seams trying to go together. OOOOPS now you have a 1/2" differential and your block really can't come out the right size.

Don't trust that your 1/4" foot really IS 1/4" -- test it out and measure it. Then mark your machine so you know every time where your seam allowance should be. There are many products on the market that make a little barrier you can put your fabric up against, some people put a line on their machine ... I have a strip of blue painter's masking tape on my machines.

Lastly, measure each step of your block for accuracy. Then you can catch any discrepancy before you have a whole block put together and find it's the wrong size. If your block is not the right size, 99% of the time it means your seam allowance is incorrect. So, give these hints a whirl and see how your blocks do :)

This quilt has a lot of angles and seams and pieces that are all made to go together perfectly :) For me, it means I have to work a little more diligently than I might for, say, a Yellow Brick Road quilt, or something else with larger pieces that can be fudged a little. This quilt is a work of accuracy and I believe at the end of the project you will find that you have developed some new skills in the cutting and piecing of your quilts!