If doing SITD, a SITD foot can be a BIG help!
Or if wanting 1/4" away, then you can use a 1/4" foot to help for the consistency.
Adjusting the needle left/right and you can be narrower or wider on that spacing.
Depending on your machine, you may not need a walking foot ... some of the machines in the last few years have built in features, which do the job of the walking foot.