Hand Pieced QAL Four-Patch Block

Here is my first completed block of Hand Pieced - A Quilt Along, which is hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts and Kristin of Simple. Handmade. Everyday. The block is comprised of four 4-patch blocks for a 16-patch block. Each piece is cut at 2 inches, and the block should finish at 6-1/2 inches all around.

Choosing fabrics is always challenging for me, but I ultimately decided on fabrics that match or complement the pillow I recently made for our guest bedroom.

I made and posted the above block on Instagram and was planning to blog about it. Then I measured it and realized the block was a full quarter inch smaller than the 6-1/2 inches it should be. The reason? I used an ink pen instead of a mechanical pencil to mark quarter inch seam lines on the back of each piece. Each seam I sewed ended up a little over the quarter inch it should have been, and that made the difference.

I decided to redo the block, and this time I marked with the mechanical pencil, which made a thinner line. However, even though the new block measures larger than the first attempt, it is still not at 6-1/2 inches all around. I will sew my subsequent quarter inch seams at a "scant" 1/4 inch.

Kristin's video tutorial shows how to take tiny, even stitches and how to navigate seam allowances. I was surprised at how quickly the actual sewing part went. It is a pleasant, relaxing task while watching TV.

This representation of a completed wall hanging is the layout I chose. The other option is to place the blocks on point, and you can find that representation in this post. I plan to hang mine in our guest bedroom.

I am joining Patty's link-up. Click on the logo to find more information about this QAL. It's not too late to join!