Am I the only one who likes Y seams? They do not phase me one bit. Must be the drafter in me.
I found that I do much better on the 1/4" seams since I bought a 1/4" foot for my machine. I had one with the fabric guide but that created oversized seam allowances. Now I take care to get the foot aligned properly and I get good seams every time.
When I run out of this particular thread, I am going to switch to 60 weight for the bobbin. Every little bit helps to decrease the seam bulk.
I also had to make friends with my rulers. The Olfa (black and yellow) take a bit more attention to get the cutting line aligned properly. It took me a while to train my eyes to look at the gaps between the yellow lines and make sure the skinny black line was spot-on.
When I cut multiples of a size, I cut my strips at a multiple of that measurement. Example: If I plan to cut 2 1/2" strips and I need 5, I cut the first cut at 12 1/2" then subcut at 10, 7 1/2, 5, and 2 1/2" That way I will not experience scope creep by adding just a little bit on every cut.