DonnaQuilts

I have a Janome Horizon and purchased the 1/4" quilting foot with the metal flange. I can make consistent 1/4" seams, but I measure before starting a new project. I have a little plastic guage with a hole in it. I put the needle through the hole and check it for accuracy. Better safe than sorry. Once you get it adjusted, you can't hardly drag it out of alignment. I had to get one to keep me accurate. $23.95 at Janeome, locally.

DonnaQuilts

Scant is such an inaccurate term. Hand grenades and horse shoes. Somebody come up with the proper measurement please. We need a millwright's rule already, so why not name it.

FroggyinTexas

Just as I got really comfortable with a 1/4 inch seam, some diabolical member of the quilt police came up with "scant 1/4 inch," and absolutely meaningless designation that has no reliable definition. Someone wrote to move the seam over "one thread." Here is a hot flash for all you flashers: All threads in fabric are not equal! Some are thick and some are thin and some are in between. Likewise the thread with which you are sewing.

How about giving yourself a break, along with the rest of us? Go back to the 1/4 inch seam, try to sew straight and leave the scant 1/4 inch to all the sadists out there who just can't leave well enough alone.

Keep that seam simple, sewists! froggyintexas

nstitches4u

That makes too much sense! lol

nstitches4u

There is an adjustable edge stitch foot. I have one for my Janome and my BabyLock. You can adjust the guide to the required distance from the needle. I have better luck with the scant 1/4" with that foot. If I am making a quilt for myself or for charity, I use the 1/4" foot. As long as all the seams are the same, it doesn't matter. If I am making blocks for a block exchange, I use the adjustable edge stitch foot so that I have a consistent scant 1/4". Life is too short to stress over seam allowances.

Norma

gigi712

I was looking for help because everything was cut right and all sewn with a 1/4 " exactly and my blocks were not measuring up correctly. THAT'S WHY I brought the subject to the board. And you know what? Now I have several 8 1/2" perfect blocks! Believe me I'd love to sew the 1/4" and be done with it, but it wasn't working for me. I don't know about you but I'm not sewing just to listen to the machine, I want to make a quilt where all squares line up! Now you go back to your 1/4" seams and let us sadists who aren't doing so great using that method find a solution. How about THAT???????

Gale in Texas

nlpakk

Thanks Linda, Yes Pfaff has the dual feed, called IDT and I have it on both of my machines. In fact it comes on almost all of their machines, I believe, except the Hobby ones or less expensive ones.

bearisgray

What did you change doing to get your blocks to come out to the right size now?

(Whatever you did, glad you got the blocks to come out to the size you are hoping for)

JustAbitCrazy

When cutting your fabric, it helps to place the line for the measurement you want ontop of the fabric, not off the edge of the fabric. If you are placing that line off the edge of the fabric, you are cutting the piece a "scant" too small. There should not be extra fabric showing beyond the line, however. Just make sure the entire thickness of the line is ontop of the fabric, nothing more, nothing less. This "scant" stuff is something we all struggle with to get right. You have tons of company!

gigi712

bear is gray, I did the 3 strip test that I believe you had suggested, tested and found my 'spot' at 3.8. It's perfect for 'this' quilt and I couldn't be happier. I'll continue to test every quilt with this method. Saved my sanity plus I'm going to get a beautiful quilt to boot. Can't beat that with a stick.