Glennis, I think Kathy's got the right idea. Most machines use an average 2.5 stitch setting. Try adjusting down to a 2 or lower. Your stitches will be much closer together. Also, do any seam-pressing when the fabric's still in one long strip, then cut your 2" pieces. Don't worry too much about the look of the edges where you've cut these apart. When you sew them into the block you're making, the quarter-inch seams should overlap and lock the stitches in place.