Before cutting a gazillion patches for a quilt make up ONE sample block first. I'm one of those who loves to just plunge into a project and it annoys me to make a sample first, but I've learned from experience to do so. Why? First of all, you may discover that a pattern that looks great on paper or in your head is going to drive you nuts when you actually sew it together-there may be too many points to match up, for example. Second,you need to know how to set up your project-on my block, the first one I sewed, I managed to sew the triangles upside down. On one block its easy to take apart but if I'd charged ahead with more (16!) I'd still be ripping! Also, on my first block I COULD NOT get points to match up-then I discovered I had the wrong foot on the machine, so instead of a 1/4 inch seam I had something like 3/16's of a seam-enough to throw the block off.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 31, 2002

Answers

another point on making a test block is if you are trying to increase or decrease the size of a block (you already have a pattern for), you can sometimes get the fiqures wrong. Making a test block allows you to see if your math works out. Plus, it is nice to see if the block looks good after adjusting the measurments. Some blocks need to be the size you find in a pattern, some work great after adjusting. Test blocks tell you this, without spending hours frustrated.... and of course the old construction adage works in quilting too... measure twice, cut once...LOL

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 31, 2002.

And another tip Ladys.Your 1/4", is your 1/4", all sewing machines are a little diff..and we may not all use the same ruler or rulers. that also makes a difference, if only by a hair. So Just Keep that in mind when you start to piece together your swapped squares..But Im not that picky about it.but is nice to be as close as we can get.Just have fun..Im having fun trying to come up with a diff. block for each one, but they may be a few of the same. Happy piecing & quilting...Amelia Kay

-- Amelia Kay (bluegrassgirl@charter.net), April 02, 2002.