I like using a shorter stitch length also for piecing. I usually use a 2.0 or 1.8. The smaller the pieces, the shorter the stitch. I also like to staystitch around the parts of the quilt if there are bias edges or many smaller pieces and I usually also stay stitch about a 1/8 of an inch from the edge around the whole top before quilting it as it really helps to keep the seams from splitting. I find if I forget and use the default 2.5 stitch length that I do get seams that come apart. The other thing I always do is to check the downside of the seams while i am pressing to make sure that both sides of the seam have that 1/4 inch of fabric. Sometimes I have worked with a wider seam, but that is only when I might have a looser, poor quality fabric that is raveling easy. I try and avoid that fabric if I a making a good quilt as that fabric spells trouble down the road, but I have used that looser weave fabric for things like dog quilts or picnic throws.