Hmmm - Part 2 -

So I went back to the drawing board -

To see if I could figure out what went "wrong" -

On my Upstairs/Downstairs - Meredith blocks -

And why my blocks are 1/4" narrower than they are long -

Something is "off" -

Just don't know what it is yet -

So - test time -

First - I measured the length of the block -
It's 10-1/2" - like it's supposed to be -

That's good - because I was worried that the "pinked" edges messed me up -
But it appears that I sewed the strata accurately -

Then I measured the three middle "columns" -
They each measure 2" - like they are supposed to be -
The one second from the right looks a little narrow -
But I measured the back side - and it was 2" -

You can see the last column on the right is 2-1/4" -
And the one on the far left is 2-1/4" like it should be
They each have that one extra seam allowance on the outside -

So it's like the "parts" measure correctly -

But the "sum of the parts" doesn't account for the "whole" -

And it's still 1/4" narrower in one direction -

So - I thought about that for a minute -

In my experience -

When a block is "off" -

It can only be one of three things -

• The CUTTING -
• The SEWING -
• The PRESSING -

CUTTING -
The jelly roll was die cut by the manufacturer - with "pinked" edges -
I cut the "segments" with my die cutter - with "straight" edges -
So I know it's not the cutting -

SEWING -
I used the same setting on my machine for the 1/4" seam allowance -
When I sewed the columns together -
And that setting worked for the strata - they came out the correct length -
So I know it's not the sewing -

So - by the process of elimination -

It must be the PRESSING -

I'm off by 1/4" -

IF there are 4 vertical seams -

I only have to be "off" 1/16" of an inch in the pressing of each column -

To add up to 1/4" -

And 1/16" is only two or three threads -

So - bottom line -

I'm not going to worry about it -

Especially since I've made this block many times before -

And never noticed the difference -

Or had a problem sewing the blocks together -

Besides -

I have other things I want to play with -

And this will work itself out -

One way or the other - LOL - ;))



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -