A couple of question from someone new to the dark side.

[Renegade Sewist]

But Peeps, we are metric! Don't you know about the Metric Act of 1866, protecting the metric system here. Of course some folk thought the President who signed it into law committed treason, but hey. Or the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, making metric "the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce"? Which they cleverly made completely voluntary.

Metric was the big deal at school in the early 70's and we kids generally thought it was dumb. Now we're one of 7 countries that don't have metric as our main system. But it is used a lot, so my screwdrivers and wrenches I have both metric and imperial sets. A real PITA.

I suppose we've always been a bit rebellious.

[crafter]

I didn't know that @Renegade Sewist .  So its just the same here.  Taught in schools as the method of measurement but not compulsory.  I do wish they would make their mind up here.  If you go to a market stall they have to show their prices in kilos, but you can still ask for your apples in llbs.  Its a bit daft isn't it.

Thing is metric is so easy.  We have all got used to decimalisation because there was no alternative.  They should have made it law.

Metric still has its idiosyncrasies.  My OH always used to accompany me when measuring for curtain and blinds.  Problem is he only works in mm.  I only work in cms.  Some of our conversations were like a comedy sketch.  Right in front of clients too.

[Renegade Sewist]

It really is daft. Some industries are strictly metric. Some people are strictly imperial. That whole "we're making America Metric" thing from my teen years that was then made voluntary was idiotic.

Now, back to your P & Q. I haven't made it over yet to look at your blocks. I'll try to take a look the next day or two. Glad you're enjoying the dark side. 

[rubywishes]

I'm metric in everything except sewing... I grew up being taught the imperial system in Primary School and then the metric system in Secondary School.  I do prefer to use the imperial system for sewing related tasks and am forever multiplying or dividing numbers by 2.5 to swap between inches and centimeters.

[Greybird]

I was off sick for a week when I was at school, and that was the week that metric measurements were taught. When I mentioned to the teacher that I has missed it, she said "Oh well, I don't suppose you'll ever go and live in France - don't worry about it" !

[HenriettaMaria]

We were taught £sd and imperial (chains & furlongs included) at primary school but metric system at secondary, so I too am quite happy ordering 3m of 60" wide fabric.  The only thing I can't do in metric is visualise body weights - I am stuck in stones and pounds there (note to US readers - 1st = 14lb so 140lb = 10st).  And, being British, I think in miles too.

I listened to a podcast in the car once about the American system.  Seems US milk bottles, say, are labelled in pints but are actually a round number of litres (although I can't remember exactly what).

As for P&Q, for my one and only outing to the dark side, I lost patience with my so-called quarter-inch foot (since it doesn't seem to be, exactly, and has a single round hole so tweaking the needle position is no help) and marked the actual allowance to be used on the sole plate with magic tape.  Then it's possible to use whichever foot best suits the fabric characteristics of the project.

[Acorn]

I've just been measuring a remnant and realised that I have wholeheartedly embraced the width-in-inches, length-in-metres idea.  Without thinking about it I recorded it as 2.5m by 67inches.  And then I realised that the labels on my other pieces of fabric are all just like that.

I used to prefer Fahrenheit for high temperatures and Centigrade for low until I got a weather station which won't change the units it records depending on the level of the temperature!