Originally Posted by
grandma nurse
Is it just at the end you are loosing your 1/4 inch? If so you need to use your pointy tool to hold the fabric as it finishes up the seam. If I don't use this my seam wanders off and comes out smaller.
The "pointy tool" works for me. I was always wandering at the end of a seam. It' didn't matter much when I was doing 6 inch squares for charity quilts, but it matters a lot when you have smaller pieces.
You can buy a stylus for a lot of money, use a chopstick from your Chinese meal, or use a bamboo skewer. The skewers are way too long, so I cut mine in half or less (my kitchen scissors will do that) and put them in the pencil sharpener. A very gentle push into the sharpener will get it as sharp as you like. I sharpen both ends this way. I have one with each machine and have given some away to others.
Happy sewing!