I use my walking foot, then I set my needle so that when the material is at the edge of my walking foot, the needle position reads 6.1, and I get a perfect 1/4" seam allowance. But, I set it up for my friend and her 1/4" was 5.9. so you just have to work it out for your machine. But, my blocks always come out the right size, and I don't get frustrated.