Cut and join patchwork squares

Start with the finished square

An 8 cm cut square produces a visible 6 cm square after a 1 cm allowance is used on every side. Four pieces assembled in two rows first make a 14 cm block. Only the later outside seam reduces its finished size to 12 cm. Keep those unfinished and finished measurements separate when planning several blocks.

Cut four squares from nonstretch woven fabrics of similar weight. Check every edge and corner. A paper template helps with marking, but repeated inaccurate trimming can gradually make it smaller. Label the template with its cut size and the allowance already included. Eight centimeters is approximately 3⅛ inches, but use one measurement system consistently for this exercise.

Prepare two rows

Arrange the pieces on the table and photograph the order if the prints have a direction. Sew the upper pair right sides together, then the lower pair, using the same 1 cm allowance. Each row should measure about 14 cm wide while remaining 8 cm high.

Press the upper row's allowances to one side and the lower row's to the opposite side. When the rows meet, the seam ridges can nest against one another. This helps align the central intersection, but it does not correct badly cut squares. Pulling and pinning mismatched rows firmly will not make their true dimensions equal.

Join at the center first

Place the rows right sides together. Align the middle seam before matching the outer edges. Pin close to the intersection, removing the pin before the machine needle reaches it. Sew the rows together and open the block for inspection before pressing the final seam.

If the middle is noticeably displaced, undo a short section around the intersection and realign it. Preserve enough fabric at the outside edges for the next join. A small offset is acceptable in a practice piece; a badly distorted outline makes every later assembly step harder.

Do not trim away the evidence

Let the pressed block cool, then check its dimensions on the cutting mat. Remove only minor overhangs. Cutting away an entire allowance to make it look square would leave the next block a different size. Keep the first four-patch with a note of its seam setting. It provides a quicker machine-feeding check than measuring twenty nearly matching squares afterward.