FroggyinTexas

All the above advice is good, but if you buy a quarter inch foot for your machine, your problemd will be 99 percent solved. If you don't live near a sewing machine place, look on Amazon. froggyintexas

hevemi

http://www.quiltdesignnw.com/quiltin...t-patterns.htm
Scroll down to find - 1/4" Seam Allowance Guide...
Download, print and practice! Keep close to your machine for reference.

ema521

I found a different foot along with a magnetic guide which I put in front of the foot tokeep seam & material straight. I've only used it on scrap pieces to test but it seems to be working consistently. As for them pulling out, it was a stitch length too long, atleast shortening it seems to have fixed that. Thank you all! I am learning to use every little knob on my machine while trying to adjust anyway. My only sewing bckground prior to starting this is a class in high school 20+ years ago. Thanks again!

cjaneky

I have been quilting for a little over a year or more and these women and men are so kind about sharing their sewing tips and advise. The answers they have given have been a great help, their ideas are wonderful. You couldn't have asked a better bunch of people . I have learned so much. Thank you and kuddos to all of the great people here at the QB.

quiltmom04

Try reduce your stitch length. The length you would use on clothing or projects with a larger seam will not be close enough for piecing a quilt. I use a 2.0 on my pfaff. Small enough to hold well, but not to small to rip out when I need to.

meanmom

I always thought that I was sewing a true 1/4 in seam until I made a project where it HAD to be an truely exact scant 1/4 inch seam. My 1/4 inch was off just a tiny bit. Luckily I corrected it before I had a nightmare project. I use a 1/4 inch foot buy it wasn't exact, I have to move my needle position a little bit. Ckcowl has good advice. Work on it until you master the seam allowance. You will save yourself a lot of headaches later on. On the simpler patterns it is easier to fudge a little to make it work. But as you make more difficult patterns it becomes more an more important.

Mamia

Your best bet is to buy an 1/4 inch foot for your machine if you can afford one, This makes the job so much easier. Being new I wouldn't use anything but cotton material until you get some experience quilting. I had never sewed anything until 3 years ago when I found quilting. I found the 1/4 inch seam a challenge until I got my 1/4 inch foot.Practice is your best friend.
Good luck with your next project each one gets better.

brings

good morning ema521 , get your ruler out 1/4 inch is the first line on the ruler , hold your ruler up to your needle on your machine and take a piece of tape or cut a small piece of post note to mark your 1/4 inch the post note also helps to keep your material straight while you sew i hope this helps you

AlienQuilter

Be careful of those 1/4" feet with guide. Mine for my Babylock is worthless. If you get one, test it by sewing 3 strips together (1 1/2" width) press, then measure with a good ruler. That center strip should measure 1 inch in width consistently up and down the length of the strip.

Those command strips are really neat to help guide the fabric.

Someone on this board told me a while ago to use an index card. those lines are 1/4" apart.

If your seams are coming undone at the ends, are you clipping the threads too close? Also, If it does seam to be a problem for you, you could back stitch at the beginning and end of each seam.

One place that is really good to go to for videos on how to quilt is Missouri Star Quilt Company:
http://quiltingtutorials.com/basic-s...-quarter-inch/
http://quiltingtutorials.com/basic-s...th-fabric-wof/
http://quiltingtutorials.com/product...selvedge-edge/
http://quiltingtutorials.com/browse-...minology-bias/
http://quiltingtutorials.com/basic-s...traight-grain/
http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/bin...ewing-machine/
Have fun browsing through all of MSQC "how to" videos: http://quiltingtutorials.com/

AZ Jane

See if you have some standard 3 X 5 index cards laying around the house. Minus the first line, the rest should be 1/4 inch apart, practice on the cards to give you practice. If yu do not have a 1/4 inch quilting foot, I would strongly advise trying to get one. And come back often for more suggestions!!