Originally Posted by
AliKat
Don't you wonder that someone writes in the directions to use a 'scant' 1/4". There is no universal usage for this term. Not sure if it is lazy pattern creators/writers or if someone just wants to show off.
Obviously I wish everyone would use a standard 1/4".
All patterns are drafted with standard 1/4" seams. The problem comes with actually achieving that standard. If we sew an exact 1/4" seam and then press, the seams takes up a little more than 1/4" because of turn-of-the-cloth and thread width. This slight difference doesn't matter in simple block patterns, but starts creating havoc when the quilter needs to match up complex blocks with one another.
The goal is to achieve an accurate 1/4" seam *after pressing* so that the block measures correctly. To achieve that, it's necessary to sew slightly less than 1/4" seam.