Joan

I think we should as a group lobby the sewing machines company to start selling a "scant 1/4" foot (rather than the traditional 1/4" foot). This seems to be a universal problem we are all struggling with........

dakotamaid

Yes, I agree with everyone else. Always us the same seam allowance all the way thru a project.

bebe

I usually cut my pieces 1/8 inch bigger and sew them. I press my piece and then square up to the size. It is an extra step but well worth it. Does not leave you heartbroken because you cut the point off to your star or hourglass or whatever you are working on. Easier to cut away than to add when it is too short. I also struggle w/ scant 1/4 inch. If in doubt have a small ruler next to your sewing machine and measure as you go along. Better to correct your mistake as you go along than after you finished and your p[attern does not work out. Just my 2 cents ;-) ;-)

Mousie

that is an excellent idea. maybe i should email janome.

Mousie

hey....bebe, that is a great idea tooo!!! gonna try this! thanks:-D
thanks, Ducky. last 12.5 block I sent to someone, had to add a border. I'm sure it was ok for that quilt, but otherwise would have had to start over, and it was a ppr pieced and just didn't feel like it. Didn't have a pattern, was a pain in the keester!

Julie Baird

I use a scant quarter inch for all parts of the piecing. The other thing that I've been doing lately is starching my fabric for piecing.

Yeah...it's another couple of steps...you'll want to wash your quilt at the end to get rid of the starch so it doesn't attract critters, too.

When I starch my fabric (mix my own from Sta Flo--half water and half Sta Flo) I starch just what I think I'll need. Starch with a spray bottle, then throw the fabric over a rod (real technical for me...a broom over the top of two chair backs) and let it almost dry. Don't have a problem with flaking or wrinkles I can't get out.

The starch just makes the fabric that much easier to handle.

Between that and my trusty edge stitching foot, I'm a happy camper...most of the time.

Julie

ReRe

Believe it or not but the J foot for my Brother SE350 on the right side of it sews a scant 1/4 inch ... who can believe my luck. I'd never measured it before and just did a few moments ago and and it was perfect. I did it 3 different times just to make sure and it did it every time. I even adjusted the needle over 1 click and it sewed a perfect 1/4 inch so I am good to go. All I need to do is to remember to use that seam for the whole thing.

Thanks to everyone who has offered advice.

k3n

I've often wondered why piecing feet are an exact 1/4" rather than scant.

I'd add my voice to the remaining consistent throughout chorus too!

Another tip is to put a piece or a stack of pieces of tape on the plate where the edge of the fabric will lie when the seam is right. This only works when piecing a straight seam though. Speed piecing HSTs and so on, it wouldn't work.

I found when I made a log cabin using the Judy Martin method of pre-cutting the strips that I finally got to grips with where my 'scant' was. You piece two patches, turn through 90° and add the next pre-cut strip. If it's too long, your seam is too generous, too short and you're too mean. You could play with this til it was right. I now know by sight where the 'scant' is, ie just a tad under the edge of my clear 1/4" foot. Having said that, this can vary a shade with thicker threads or fabrics. :hunf: If you get close enough, there's always a bit of stre-e-e-tch to make it fit. That's why I'm glad we work with fabric not wood!

:lol:

RedGarnet222

I use a quarter inch foot through out my quilting. If there is a problem, use a stack of post it notes placed to the right on the machine deck, just in front of the foot, so it will feed the fabric thorugh at the right mark. A scant is only a thread or so width. Which is to the right side of the line. Any quilt teacher will tell you that the scant quarter inch makes a big difference with certain blocks.

You can try a skinner thread and needle too.

OdessaQuilts

While I agree that the terminology of working with a 1/4" or a scant 1/4" is a little bit of a problem, I don't think the problem lies with the foot.

How many of us have taken the step to put our rulers "on notice"??? I have one ruler that I like to rotary cut with, and I know exactly where to stitch on my pieces to come out with that 1/4" seam. But when I bought a new, smaller ruler to use on smaller pieces, the 1/4" was just a bit different. How do I know? My blocks weren't coming out the correct measurement.

So I took the new ruler to my machine, put the needle in the down position and put the 1/4" line up to it. Now put my presser foot down and sure enough, the mark on my straight stitch foot that I use for 1/4" did not line up with the edge of the ruler. It was further out, so my blocks are being sewn a little small if I use that mark.

Since it is a straight stitch foot, moving the needle position over is not an option as there is nowhere for it to go without slamming into the foot. I do not want to buy yet another foot. So I make every attempt to insure that my 1/4" seam from the ruler is translated to my throat plate so that my seam can be sewn at the 1/4" the ruler says it should be.

I also need to make sure that I only cut with one particular ruler when I cut out a quilt. It's inaccurate cutting that leads to inaccurate piecing, that leads to inaccurate blocks, etc., etc., etc. I'm tired of being the dog chasing it's tail: I'm too fat to ever catch it!

HTH Ducky ( and everyone else with this problem ).