To Square or Not To Square by Laurel Riter

Do you find that you need to square up your blocks to a common size before you can sew your blocks into rows? Do you cut off points? Do your blocks sometimes lose their symmetry?

You’ve probably heard that if you cut accurately, sew a precise quarter inch seam and press carefully, you won’t have that problem. And that’s probably true in a perfect world, but that’s a lot of "if’s".

Personally, my world is not perfect. I’m a pretty careful cutter, I know where a quarter inch is on my machine and I know, and follow, all the pressing rules. Still, there are times my blocks don’t turn out exactly the size I expect.

However, I’m not a big believer in squaring up blocks. Too often, your block is worse AFTER you square than before.

So what’s a poor quilter to do??? Take a look at your block. Where are the problems? One of my favorite tools is the Corner Cut 60 from Alicia’s Attic. This equilateral triangle has seam lines marked on each side: a scant quarter inch on one side, a perfect quarter inch on another and a fat quarter inch on the third. Place the seam line marking directly on your sewn seam line and measure to the edge of your seam. Are your seams fat? Are they less than scant? Do you need to do some adjusting in your sewing? (You can also use this tool to mark a scant 1/4" seam line on your machine.)

If you don’t have a quarter inch foot for your machine, you really should consider investing in one. It’s amazing how much more accurate you are with the proper foot. But even if you have a quarter inch foot, use the Corner Cut 60 to determine exactly where your fabric should be in relation to the foot. You may be surprised to learn that you’ve been using your foot to sew a perfect 3/16th " seam!

Is your machine one of those that likes to slide off the end of a seam? You’re sewing along with a perfect seam when, all of a sudden, it narrows down to about an 1/8" as you get to the end of the seam. If your block is made up of triangles, the points are 1/8th or less from the edge of the block. If you sew your next seam with a 1/4" seam, you’ll cut off the point. You may need to resew the last inch or so of the seam with a 1/4" seam. Use a stiletto to guide the part of the seam.

Check to be sure you’ve pressed properly. Make sure there aren’t any folds along sour seam, that it is pressed completely flat on the front side.

If some blocks are significantly off, measure the pieces of your block to double check your cutting. It’s so easy to accidentally slide your ruler over and cut the wrong size. Alicia’s Attic also has a product for marking the cutting lines on your ruler. These orange static clings, called the Cutting Edge, can be reused and won’t leave any residue on the back of your ruler. Best of all, they create a little lip on the wrong side of your ruler. Slide the ruler over the fabric and the ruler will stop when you get to the proper size. These are especially great when you’re cutting lots of strips the same size.

If you’ve checked your cutting, pressing and seam allowances and you’re still slightly off, you may need to ease. Notice I said "ease" and not stretch. Stretching a piece can cause stitches to release and it can warp your whole block. Instead, pin your blocks together, matching seam lines as needed. Now, put the larger piece on the bottom as you feed it into your machine. Hold the layers firmly (without stretching) and allow the feed dogs to ease the extra fabric in.

Now your pieces should match, no triangle tips have been cut off, and you’re ready to sew your quilt top together! Pay close attention as you cut, sew and press, and you’ll have fewer and fewer problems with your blocks.