Quarter inch seams
 

I've always thought I was getting quarter inch seams using my quarter inch foot. Even measuring the seam it looks like 1/4 inch. Started the Skill Builder BOM at the beginning of the year and my first block didn't come out right. I got one of those plastic thingies with the tape that you tape down to have 1/4 inch seam...my presser foot wouldn't go down with it on my machine. So then I read about measuring 1/4 using the lines on an index card. I did that yesterday and decided to put painter's tape where 1/4 line is. It covers one of the feed dogs! What's up with that?!?!?! I have the Pfaff Ambition 1.5. Why would the machine be designed this way? Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

The seam will work better if you use a scant 1/4". You may have to move your needle to the right a notch to get the scant 1/4".

I use the quarter inch foot with guide on my Ambition and it works great.

I use the 1/4" foot on my Pfaff & it works great. I move the needle over a notch for a scant 1/4". The 1/4" foot on my Janome is wide though, so you are right in that they are not always accurate.

You can have a perfect quarter inch seam and have your block still not come out the right size. It actually isn't about what's on the seam allowance side of the seam. It's what's left on the other side of the seam that matters. Take three pieces of fabric 2 inches wide and sew them together. Measure the center piece on the right side and if it's not 1.5 inches adjust your seam allowance accordingly.

I also have to move my needle to the right when using my 1/4" foot.
Scissor Queen has provided the best way to check your seam.
After you figure out where it is on your machine, you're good to go. Note, however, if you change thread size, or fabric, ex: going from cotton to flannel, you should re check and possibly readjust. It only takes a few minutes, and I'd rather take some time checking my seam allowance before I begin than to spend a lot of time and energy pushing/pulling & ripping out to make my blocks fit.

You cut out the part that covers the feed dogs leaving the feed dogs open to operate. You mentioned you were using painter's tape. Just cut out the section of tape which covers the feed dogs leaving the tape before the feed dogs, after the feed dogs and to the right of the feed dogs.

If I can find my camera I'll take a picture for you. I use a folded index card as 1/4 seam guide. First I measured 1/4 and then I taped the card in place to the front and back of my sewing machine. Where the index card would cover the right hand feed dogs, I cut that out so the feed dog wasn't covered.

On my Bernina 1230, I move my needle one notch to the right to get my scant 1/4" seam. I have never been able to get accurate seams using a foot. I measure my 1/4" from the needle, then place a physical barrier so I can butt my pieces against it when sewing. I can sew much faster with this barrier. Have cut up and used moleskin in the past, but now I use a Dritz adhesive seam refill because it is higher. (Do not trust their red "seam gauge" that goes with these refills for setting your 1/4" seam. I measured it, and it is set for a full 1/4". If you use it, your seams are almost guaranteed to be a little too big.) I would have posted a picture, but no one on Amazon seems to sell it right now. Got my last batch at JoAnn's for under $3.

Thank you everyone for your insights. I've hesitated to move the needle over, because then I'd have to remember it every time I turn on my machine. My memory is not what it used to me, I have to use notes all over the place to remember other things, so I guess I could just attach a note to my machine. I appreciate everyone's help!

It took me a long time (at least a year) to remember to move the needle over every time. Now I seldom forget. For a long time I would place a piece of blue painter's tape in front of the needle when I finished a sewing session so I would remember to move the needle before removing the tape. I wrote on the tape too.

That is one of my dilemmas with my first sewing machine, a Singer I think 327. The needle doesn't have a position changer, so that isn't possible. And, to make a tape to mark the 1/4 inch covered up the feed dogs too, at least the right side. I only made one quilt on that machine and then "stole" my favorite dinky Brother mechanical from my son and that has a needle position.

I"m beginning to feel vindicated, When my blocks didn't match up and I was always using my 1/4" foot I thought there had to be something wrong with me.....

The fabric and thread you use has an affect on that hard to get "quarter inch" "scant quarter inch".

A person really needs to test sew in order to make sure the seam allowance is coming out correctly for the fabric and thread they're using in a project. It really does vary. Test it with thin fabric and then again with thicker fabrics.

Nan

I got the Clearly Perfect Angles tool. It is a vinyl sheet that clings to the bed of your sewing machine by static cling so can be easily installed and removed. You line up the needle in normal position with the center line of the guide and then can place fabric on the 1/4 inch line. It is about 8 inches long so can extend a long way down the front of the machine or table to aid in guiding. Also works perfectly for half-squares and other angled sewing. I have a drop in bobbin so had to cut out a section in the middle to fit over the cover but easy to do with the instructions provided. Now my seams are much better than when I used the 1/4" foot.

Same here!

Oh! Oh! I will have to check this out. I watched the tutorial and it seems like a must have gadget for me. I have one question. I'm not sure I understand how you would use it to make flying geese. Do you use it for that too? Although I love gadgets, I'm trying to only get ones with multiple purposes.

Pressing can play a large part in mis-sized blocks also. If you wait to press after stitching usually the block with grow.
I like to starch and press before I cut, the pieces are so nice to work with then.

I am so confused!!! What is a "scant 1/4"" 1 thread, 2 threads, x# threads and who can see those threads? If you use the same 1/4" measure on your machine all the time then your blocks will be correct and will fit together. I have a Singer and I move my needle to the correct position to get 1/4" ( not scant) and all my stuff fits and measures correctly. An issue may come when trying to work with other peoples blocks since their 1/4" may not be the same as yours. Down with the "scant 1/4""!!!!!.

If you have a machine that does zig-zag, you will notice that the right hand feed dogs don't even come into much contact with the fabric when you are sewing 1/4 in. seams. Only half of the feed dogs touch the fabric, and that is the very edge of it. With scant 1/4 in. seams, they contact even less. But I do it anyhow. I can move my needle so the fabric will still be contacting that half of feed dog.

I have a magnetic guide to mark the scant 1/4 in. seam, but it is unusable on the zig-zag machine; the feed dogs are in the way. It works on my old 301 (not a zig-zag), but sometimes it goes out of place if I bump it in the least. I wouldn't recommend buying it.

Most people have address labels around their house I do. Hundreds of them I just stack up 3 or four of them and mark my 1/4" with them. That way you can change it to what you want. They come off easy to.

I've struggled with getting my blocks to come ou precisely for years; don't know whether it's the inaccuracy of my 1/4 inch seams or something else but I've finally just begun to either paper piece the block or make the units a little outsized and trim everything back to the precise measurement I'm after. It's a little more trouble in the short run but saves a ton of frustration when I start assembling all the blocks.

This is what a friend of mine told me long ago and she was a quilting teacher and an avid quilter herself. Tried it and it worked.

I did pretty much the same thing only I used an old magnetic business card. I just cut out the area where it went over the feed dogs. I can't adjust the needle on this machine. I have a vintage Kenmore. Works just fine and it's easy to move if necessary.

I took a very expensive precision piecing class a few years ago. Once you find the seam allowance you want then the secret is to sew very slow. Slow Slow Slow. One stitch at a time. It won't be long until you can sew a perfect 1/4" seam without any guides at all.

Not being able to sew that required 1/4" caused me so many tears and lots of rip it rip it time. I was feeling like I could do nothing right. I finally bought a 1/4" pressure foot and found the sewing experience amazingly better. Even my 10 year old grandson can sew that perfect 1/4" seam!

Not only are the seams uniform now. It has made matching seams and points much easier. I still check seam measurements to make sure all is well. The scant 1/4" is just okay....have not learned a precision way to judge that seam.

I have a Pfaff and discovered that I had to move the needle way over to get the 1/4" seam.
Why would anyone design a machine that way? Oh, what a question. I'll let someone else answer that one!! :-)

coopah, remember that some people who use sewing machines use a 5/8" seam (referring to the garment makers). A lot of clothing patterns call for a 5/8" seam. The easiest way to accommodate both is to start the needle in the middle and let it be up to the machine operator to adjust the needle position. Some of the newer quilting machines have a shortcut button to sew a 1/4" seam with the 1/4" foot. The Janome 8900 has that feature.

I found that the specialty 1/4" quilting foot caused me more problems than it helped. I have an older Bernina and bought the new patchwork foot thinking it would help me. Nope. It caused me to slightly veer off at the ends of seams for some reason and I didn't have good visuals at the ends either. I found that I still needed a long line accurately marked on the machine bed with the needle to the right side so that the feed dogs have better contact with the fabric. You can use all manner of things to mark your line-- blue painter's tape, 3-M removable mounting squares, sticky-back moleskin, a stack of post-its, etc. I found that I really needed something with height so that I had something to butt up against. Stitching inside the quarter inch ruled lines on graph paper or index cards is great for measuring the scant 1/4" distance. It is useful to check your measurements fairly frequently on sample blocks because things can slip or wear down, and as has been said above, thread and fabric can make a difference.

I finally invested in one of those inexpensive seam guide rulers with a hole for inserting the needle and a long edge to place your seam guide material of choice. The last time I was at the Bernina dealer, I bought one of the screw in metal seam guides for an insane amount of money I thought, but it is easier than frequently replacing tape, etc. when I have to sew a 5/8" seam on clothing. It works on my old Singer 15-91, too.

Up until the last few years every box of accessories came with that metal guide, I have 4 machines and 7 of the guides :) don't ask me how. You can also buy them off ebay very inexpensively.

Several layers of masking tape works too.

The Brother 1500s is straight stitch only. The 1/4" foot measures perfectly. Great workhorse.

The default needle position on my Janome 6600 is off.....it starts at 3.5 and I have to move it to the right to 5.4 to get a correct seam allowance with the 1/4" foot.

Whatever you decide to use as a guide bring it back toward you and line it up just in front of the presser foot allowing you to butt your fabric against it for a couple inches before it gets to the needle. Don't run it back over the feed dogs, but stop it just short of the feed dogs.

Thanks for the info, SandySews. I think I'll try that magnetic seam guide one more time on my zig-zag machine, and put it forward of the feed dogs. That makes sense.

Every machine is different, took me awhile to get mine set up.
I have a Viking Sapphire and it has a 1 /4 in setting. It still is not the right size so I have to move my needle to 2.3 to get the right size seam.

Maggie, I love that idea! I never think of those things. I have always been told I have trouble thinking outside the box. Lol. That's why I love the sharing on this forum. Thanks!
Mary

My needle can't be moved on any of my machines. I use a 1/4" foot with a guide and am just happy with whatever size I get. I don't do anything that requires a scant 1/4" seam. It all works out in the end, consistency is the answer. I have done what sandysewa does if I really need to.

Here are a few of my favorite tips/tricks for seam allowance.

I like the idea of testing your seam allowance by stitching three strips together, as Scissor Queen suggested. I use 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" strips. The center strip should then be exactly 1". If it's too big, your seam allowance is too small. If it's too small, your seam allowance is too large. Sometimes, it's only off by a thread's width!

If you are measuring your seam allowance to see if it's 1/4", be sure to count the stitches as part of the 1/4".

PRESSING can also make a difference!! If you are pressing from the wrong side of the fabric instead of the right side, a little fold forms at the seam allowance on the right side, and you'll lose real estate. Press the seam flat to sink the stitches, then press on the right side, getting the fabric as close to the stitches as possible to flatten the seam, without popping the stitches.

Water/Too much steam can also make a difference! Remember, it's cotton, and even if you've pre-shrunk your fabrics, if you get it too wet or use too much steam when pressing, it's still going to shrink. Press fabrics prior to cutting, then use a dry iron and a light mist if necessary when piecing.

Cutting can also make a difference! Cut using the marks on the ruler if possible, and try to use the very same ruler to cut out all your pieces. Make sure the line on the ruler sits on top of the edge of your fabric when cutting strips.

Here are more precision piecing pointers: http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/cut...-tricks-tools/

I installed the fast2sew yesterday. I cut out a section from the back to up around the feed dogs 3 1/2 by 1 1/8 inches. There is a YouTube video you can watch of another brand but it works the same. I used painters tape to tape it down & saved the section I cut out as a key to refitting it again. It works very well.

I also have a 1/4 inch foot for my Janome. I always thought I was sewing a perfect scant 1/4 inch seam. I am making an optical illusion quilt by Erin Underwood. It needs to be really exact. Luckily I checked my accuracy before I started. I needed to move my needle 2 clicks to be accurate. I finish the quilt you sew 48 wedges together to make a circle. If you are a little bit off it will make a huge difference and it will be a mess.