Moda Cupcake Mix Recipes
 

Have you seen the new Moda Cupcake Mix Recipes? They have a layer cake version and a charm square version. How to describe it, well it is preprinted papers that you layer on top of fabrics, sew on the lines, then cut them out and piece them together. The sewing part was easy, but the cutting is so tedious. You sew on the dotted lines and cut on the solid lines, giving you accurate blocks.

It says to sew the blocks together with a scant 1/4" seam. I tried this but I can't seem to maintain an accurate scant 1/4" seam. My question is why can't i just use a 1/4" seam. Will it make a difference in piecing?

Also how to get the papers off without ripping out the seam? I did use a smaller stitch, and folded the paper and scored it, but it is still difficult to get the paper off. Any tips?

Yes, a scant seam and a 1/4 seam will make a difference in some patterns. It can mean cut off points. Some patterns it doesn't matter. I made a layer cake pattern and got the best points I have ever made. Try putting down a piece of masking tape in the scant seam spot and line up your fabrics like that. When I made mine, I pulled the papers off after I had cut out the squares. Since the scant seam isn't printed, I saw no reason to keep them on till the block was finished. I haven't tried the cup cake patterns. But I love the Cake Mixes.

Seems to me that if they wanted you to use a scant 1/4" seam, they would have marked it the paper with scant seams. Personally, I don't buy precuts, specialty rulers, used for only certain patterns, and I won't buy the Moda Cupcake mix recipes, my opinion.

As toverly mentioned, whether it makes a difference or not depends on the pattern.

I achieve and maintain a scant 1/4" seam by using a physical guide on the bed of my machine using molefoam. My preference is for molefoam *padding* because it is thicker, but I have also used regular molefoam. Molefoam is found in the foot section of pharmacies. It has an adhesive backing and is used by hikers to protect their feet from blisters. If the molefoam is thin, I layer it. Molefoam padding is thick enough that I don't need to layer.

What I do is cut the molefoam using my ruler and rotary scissors into thin strips (about 1/4" thick wide, but the width doesn't actually matter).

I take a strip to my sewing machine along with my favorite ruler that has thin lines. (You can use a notecard with 1/4" lines instead, if you like.) I place the ruler underneath the presser foot and lower my needle so that the needle is just touching the ruler to the *right* of the 1/4" line nearest the right edge of the ruler.

I lower the presser foot to keep the ruler in place, then check to make sure that the ruler is running straight from front to back on the bed of my machine. Once I am satisfied with the ruler's placement, and the needle is touching just to the right of the thin line on my ruler (if your ruler's lines are thick, place the needle on the line but towards the line's right side), I peel the adhesive backing off my strip of molefoam and carefully lay it down on the bed of my machine, butting it against the edge of the ruler. If your ruler slips or moves on you, you can use painter's tape to tape it down to the bed of the machine to keep it in place while you do this. If you are using a note card instead of a ruler, you will have the needle touching the bottom line on the card.

Because I have an insert to keep the bed of my machine flat with its desk, and I need to remove the insert sometimes to reach the bobbin, I use scissors to cut the moleskin where the insert meets the desk. I like my strip of molefoam to be quite long, extending both in front of and in back of the presser foot.

When sewing seams, I simply butt the cut edges up to the molefoam (be careful you don't push so hard the seams go up and over! -- they just need to be touching the molefoam) and I get straight, even, accurate scant 1/4" seams every time.

Here is a link to the molefoam padding I like the best, but be aware there is molefoam that is thinner than this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EPQG2G/
A single pack will last quite a long time, as there are several sheets in a pack and each sheet can be cut into strips. It does wear out as you sew, so I simply replace it whenever it starts looking worn and shabby.

thanks for the tips!

Is there a link to get to the Cupcake recipes? I just looked at their bake shop and couldn't find it.

Thanks!
Ginger

I switched from 40 wt to 60 wt thread and now use 1/4" seam, not scant.

You mentioned having trouble removing the paper; have you tried using a serrated tracing wheel (used to use these to along with tracing paper to mark fabric when making clothes). Just run the tracing wheel over the seam, it perforates the paper and makes it easier to tear. I use it when I'm paper piecing and it makes removing the paper much easier.

I use my 1/4 inch foot and move the needle 1 click to the right. It still clears the foot and gives me the scant 1/4 inch seam.

Thanks Prism for all the good advice. Another thing that may help is to set your needle one click to the right (if your needle can do this). Then just sew as if you were doing a full 1/4 inch seam and it will turn out to be a scant 1/4.