OK - I didn't worry about a scant until I started the quilt I am currently working on. It requires 9 - 1" strips to be sewn together to make this block with the sashing it should measure 10" square. When I used the 1/4" foot...I was way off by the end. So, I had to press a lot and redo a lot of seams to get it right. And they are still off. The reason this was so important is that there are appliques that go over the blocks and into the seams. I will show a picture when I get it done...might be a while though! I had to do a big scant to get these right because the seams took up more when ironed. But in 99.9% of the time I agree...1/4 will have to do.