Hi, I would greatly benefit from tips on getting accurate 1/4 in seam allowances. No matter how careful I am, I am off ever so slightly. any hints from cutting, piecing and sewing them.

Thanks. Maryjo

Do you have a 1/4 in. foot for your machine. I bought one and it is the best investment I've made. It has a guide on it and is very accurate. You can purchase one on line or at your local sewing or quilting shop.
Another trick that you might try is cut your pieces just a little larger then trim once you have sewn your block together.

you could also place a ruler with your quarter inch mark right under the needle. Then you put tape...can be painters, masked or electrical....down fom there . When your run your fabric up the edge ...it will be a quarter inch.

as almost everybody here can tell you, my brain works in very different ways to a normal one. "official" 1/4" feet give me fits!

i have a favorite general purpose foot i use no matter which machine i happen to be sewing on. it's like an old friend. i've figured out exactly how to line up the fabric as i feed it into machine.

1/4" feet are fairly inexpensive, so you should consider giving one a spin. if you try one and it doesn't work for you, go back to your favorite regular foot and just practice on scraps until you find the "sweet spot". if you are lucky enough to have a machine that lets you adjust the needle position, play around until you find the perfect combination of lining up fabric to foot and needle position to give you the 1/4" seam. then WRITE IT DOWN on a sticky note you can slap onto the machine for reference until it becomes habit.

Pressing is also important. Set your seam on the wrong side first by raising and lowering the iron (no scrubbing) and then press to the side from the right side making sure there are no pleats.

I also use needle position and sew a scant 1/4" as a "hair" of width is always lost in the seams as they pressed out flat.

Sticky notes also work as seam guides which I use not only for myself but for the little ladies I teach.

Suzanne