Squaring Up: It Matters.
We've all done it. Square up? Meh! I just want to get this done, I can fudge it, it's close enough. I mean, most experienced quilters can eyeball 3.5" right?
Right.
In working on a pattern, I thought, that looks like it's close enough to 3.5". I don't think I really need to square up especially since I used the Magic 8 method to make my HSTs, but what the hey, I'll check.
Well...No. Every square, all 196 of them, was about an eighth of an inch - quarter of an inch off. That means that with every square it would become more and more off. So, I squared up.
This. This right here is a great visual on why squaring up is important, even if it's a big ol' pain in the butt. I didn't measure the total there, but I think we can all agree that's at least several inches of fabric cumulatively. Imagine leaving that all in, and how much it could skew the overall block sizes, the seam allowances, and the quilt top size and whether it is square? Sometimes, those little things add up.
Moral of the story? Square up, and you will be happier with your project and its accuracy.
Excellent tip!
ReplyDeleteOh I hate squaring up. But as the great Huey Lewis once sang, "It's hip to be square!" And the task is always easier if for every block squared you get an M&M (or whatever suites your fancy)!
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