mengler

My viking (diamond) has many built in stitches-among them I discovered after owning it for 4 years - is a 1/4" stitch that you can select! As I said in another post-I'm a varietal sewer not a quilter exclusively, but if I WANTED a 1/4" seam I could have one. Maybe some of your machines have that 1/4" built in somewhere. There are so many extras on the machines these days it takes awhile to figure out what you have.

debbiemarie

Great idea!

debbiemarie

I bought a 1/4 foot as well, I am still having problems though, one thing I am doing wrong is not really looking at where the fabric is until I am a in or two away from the start of my sewing. It's always a bigger space at the beginning. Someday I will get it, I will try the strips and measure that should help a lot.

Maureen NJ

Try using the Deb Tucker rulers for a change. They are great. You slightly oversize the block and then cut them to size. Love them. Good luck!

Marysewfun

I am not perfect - still learning like you - but I tend to cut things a little bigger in strategic places to give me a little "wiggle room" as Jenny at Missouri Quilt Co. calls it. For adjustment I use see through rulers. Yes, I have found that needle position on my Pfaff is unbelievably sensitive. Just one itsy-bitsy machine measurement is so effective. The main thing I remember of advice is to use the same machine from start to finish so the same adjustments adhere throughout the project. Relax and as someone else said, if you are getting consecutively smaller squares just make a smaller quilt "this project" and if need be, compensate in your sashing widths.

Marysewfun

FroggyinTexas

Why has it got to be perfect? My philosophy is this: If someone sees all the errors, they are looking too close or if it can't be seen from a galloping horse, it doesn't matter!! Unless you are entering a competition--heaven forbid, as far as I'm concerned--just enjoy the quilt however you can get it together. To be useful and beautiful all the seams do not have to match. For goodness sake, cut off your perfection bone! froggyintexas

DogHouseMom

Sounds like you got it licked!! Good job!

cathyvv

I have a 1/4" foot with a seam guide and that didn't work for me at all. Then I bought one without a seam guide - celebration time!

cathyvv

I, too, have perfectionist tendencies, and was frustrated with my work.

Then, as I was looking through some quilting magazines, I saw that quite a few of the sample quilts in the magazines did not have matching points, or the squares were off noticeably "off".

After that, I relaxed and enjoyed the process. After all, no one is paying me for my work.

cathyvv

It sure does. We've all had revelations like that!