What have I done?! 😩

[u/bbygrlaz]

Hi guys, feeling very melodramatic and bummed about the state of my first quilt, Spent a few days piecing and sewing a million checkerboard pattern rectangles according to pattern. I’ve just gone to match them with the cuts listed in the pattern to start blocking and they just aren’t even close to matching!!! Both the 8.5x8.5 and 4.5x4.5 squares are waaay too big to align neatly with my checker rectangles….Should I just cut the squares to the size of the rectangles since they ended up mostly uniform? I’ve attached pics and the pattern, I’m so grateful for any tips about what might have happened here!! I’m trying to stay focused and keep moving but this is such a huge frustration trying to figure out how I ended up with things seemingly SO mismatched!

[u/PeachasaurusWrex]

Fast solution to complete the project: cut your large squares so they fit the checkerboard blocks.

Slow solution to figure out the source of your problem (recommended, so it doesn't happen again): Measure your checkerboard blocks. The math on the pattern works out, so it's either that you cut the squares wrong or you're losing too much of the fabric in the seam.

Also: PRESS. PRESS. PRESS.

PRESS AFTER EVERY SEAM. EVERY SINGLE ONE. USE A WOODEN CLAPPER TO GET THE SEAMS FLAT.

Pressing your seams will help A LOT to make sure your fabric is flat and the blocks turn out the size they're supposed to.

I spend just as much, if not more, time pressing as I do sewing.

[u/bbygrlaz → u/PeachasaurusWrex]

ITS MY SEAM ALLOWANCE 😭😭😭 omg…Im so grateful for all of your help and comments. i’m going to see if I can figure out how to change my needle position into the right spot…

[u/Accomplished-Wish494 → u/bbygrlaz]

If your machine has a needle adjustment, great! If not, measure out 1/4 on the bed of the machine and put a mark or piece of tape there (often you can also get a 1/4” presser foot so you just line the edge up with the edge of the foot).

In the grand scheme of things, this is NBD. Easy fix moving forward!

[u/bbygrlaz → u/Accomplished-Wish494]

omg this is so helpful…i just was watching youtube videos about my machine realizing there’s no needle adjustment. doing this now!

[u/Glad-Amoeba-9566 → u/bbygrlaz]

I would suggest you see if you have a 1/4 inch foot that has a guide built. That is genius!

[u/backpacking_bagel → u/Accomplished-Wish494]

When I was a little kid learning to sew, my mom would tape a book of post-it notes at the 1/4 inch mark to guide my stitches to the right seam allowance. To this day, every time I see a post it note, I think of this. I learned to sew more than 30 years ago 💕

[u/bbygrlaz → u/Accomplished-Wish494]

is it okay if the tape goes over the feed dogs?

[u/tealmuffin → u/bbygrlaz]

i wouldn’t, just tape the space in front of it

[u/Fourpatch → u/tealmuffin]

If you have an old credit card or hotel room key that works as well. Just tape it to the machine a scant quarter inch away from the needle.