Have had my 1/4 inch foot for a few years, it is an add on bought from the shop that sold me my machine. I am not all that happy with it lately. It used to be right on, lately, it is not. Unfortunately I forget to check and find the finished block is smaller. I wonder can the bars that run on the side of it get sprung out? It is frustrating, will have to start checking as I go. I did mention to the shop and they said it is on. My cutting is good, I have checked it, it is that darned foot. Am wondering if I should just buy a new one and give it a try.

If your machine has changable needle position check that. If your needle doesn't move it may be the foot. I have a similar foot and it has come apart. I would buy a new foot as a last resort.

If your 1/4" foot has a little light metal edge, it can get bent or sprung out. All it takes is getting a pin jammed in there to push it out enough so that it is off. Even when these feet are perfectly straight, they can still be enough off to make your seam allowance inaccurate. Sometimes you can adjust your needle position just enough to compensate for your foot. I'd try bending the edge in a little, change your needle position and if you're still unhappy, try another foot. There may even be a generic one that will work better for you. May you soon have happy stitching and accurate too!

I love that type of foot!

On my Janome 6600P I need to move the needle over to 4.2 (the default is 3.5) to get the perfect 1/4" seam. I have 2 of those feet & the other one is spot on with the Memory Craft 3000. Go figure! I don't mind having to make adjustments if it yields a perfect (or nearly) block.

The trouble with your foot may be that the fence is riding directly on your feed dogs and the fence is being pushed off them causing it to bend out.

I have gotten the Little Foot for the prison machines. While there is no fence, there is also nothing to bend out of shape.

Kathy

I have a 1/4 inch foot but don't rely on it. I always use a strip of painters tape to mark my 1/4" line on my machine. It has never failed me and leaves no sticky residue when I peel it off.

That's exactly what I do too. Works really well for me. :)

Rachel

Thanks for the answers what could be up with this thing. You know I bought it when I started quilting, inexperienced and all it worked, now that I have been quilting for a few years it is getting harder to get my blocks to match. I am going to try the tape on my machine, I need to do something, what a pain.

Don't know what the answer is, not knowing your machine, but Just lately I"ve had a similar problem. The culprit is the screw that holds it on is coming loose. Not enough to cause a needle problem, but enough not to let the foot sit where it should. So now I check it pretty often!

Yes, those blades can get bent :(
Someone posted one on here a while ago, that had the blade, but it had another piece of metal on the side of the blade to keep this from happening.
I will be looking for one of these for my machine :D:D:D

Different materials will need experimentation to get the scant 1/4". It may or may not be a 'foot' issue. I know, from experience, that working with flannels means I'll have to move my needle position over to the right 2 spaces.