Patchwork help, please, for a novice...

[snickersnack]

My seams are too big!

My strips were 2.5? across exactly (I didn?t cut them, someone else did, so I?m pretty confident they?re correct) ? now I?ve sewn them together in pairs along the long edge ready for cutting, the rectangles I?ve made are measuring 4.25? rather than the 4.5? that they should. I have a 1/4? foot, and I was really careful to make them straight and accurate, but now I?ve pressed them, the width is too small. #

I don?t think it matters for the pattern I?m using because everything is square, so presumably if they are all too small then it will all work itself out, but what am I doing wrong? Do I need to unpick them all and start again, or should I just carry on? And if I need to do something differently, then what?

You may be losing some width in your pressing or you may not actually be sewing a 1/4 inch seam. I found this which seems to go into a fair bit of detail on seams.

Thanks - I think you're right about losing the width in the pressing. Also read something earlier that suggested you lose more with machine stitching because the stitch is thicker than hand stitch because of the loops from the bobbin thread...I think I should probably adjust the needle position before I try a different pattern. Am hoping I'll get away with it this time though.

Yes-as long as everything is uniform then it should work out!

I think this is a bit of an 'experience' issue too! I have been quilting for years and I now sew my seams with a 'scant' quarter inch because if I don't it all comes up too small. It took me quite a while to get it right on my machine but experince has helped me to know where the edge of the fabric needs to be relative to the edge of the presser foot etc. If you stick to squares & rectangles at the beginning it should not matter too much but with those pesky triangles you may well have problems - be warned! Handsewing stitches are more flexible when pressed I think and you can be exactly on the quarter inch with it but it is soooooo time consuming.