The 1/4" foot for my Janome is actually a scant larger than 1/4"...go figure. I can only move my needle in the direction that makes the stitch even wider, not narrower. Someone told me the lines on an index card are a scant 1/4" so I used that for a correct measurement and put down a couple layers of tape to give myself an edge to run my fabric along. Then someone else told me that all index cards are not created equal. I give up! All rulers are not created equal either so what's a girl to do??