Originally Posted by
ghostrider
What possible difference does it make what your ¼" foot sews or what the seam allowance is...scant, quarter, or something else? The
only thing that matters is what's between the seams and that's a moving target depending on the threads (top and bottom) and fabrics (top and bottom) being used at the time of measurement.
Why are we so obsessed with how big the parts that get buried inside our quilts are and all but ignore the size of the parts that show on top?
To me, it matters when I quilt a sampler quilt and the finished blocks have to match in size. I have a Pfaff Passport whose 1/4" is perfect and I have a Bernina 830 whose 1/4" is not. Frustrating! I took two excellent classes at the Lancaster AQS Quilt Show last week (Cindy Needham FMQ and Donna Lynn Thomas Feathered Star)and Donna said that each time you quilt you should be doing a sample to check for 1/4" accuracy. Take three 1 1/2" x 5-6" rectangles and sew them together with 1/4" seam allowances and then measure the middle strip and it should measure 1" wide. If not, you will need to adjust before doing your piecing.