What L'il Chickadee said about the shorter stitch length is important. I just updated another thread with similar questions that I believe in a smaller stitch if you press open and/or if you strip piece where you are cutting sub-units.
What I've observed over the last 5 years with my friends is the default stitch on most of the modern machines is a little too large for my style of sewing/quilting. The modern Bernina my friend gave me and I've been learning over the past year fooled me at first because it starts each row with a small set of stitches, but as I was cutting sub-units the stitches were coming out so I had to adjust the default to suit me.
Keep in mind, if you have a 1/4" seam allowance you need more than 1 stitch in there to be secure!
So what I do is sew two scraps together, cut it in half and tug a bit to open the seam, if 3-4 stitches loosen (not even come all the way out but if you see the deep V), tighten up your stitch. It's not a huge amount, just a bit makes things more secure and for those without vision issues but with patience you can still take out the stitches.