I teach a Beginning Piecing Workshop regularly. I teach my students that all seams in piecing are a scant 1/4". And, that everyone finds their scant 1/4" seam differently. I have them sew on a 1/4" graph paper to see where the edge of the paper hits when they are sewing just to the right side of the line on the graph paper. When I sit down to my machine, I bump the needle bar position over one notch to the right, and guide the edge of my fabric just inside the feed dogs. 2 students in my current class, bump their seam allowance over 2 notches, but have to use the regular presser foot instead of a quarter-inch foot. Some can do great with guiding the fabric along the quarter-inch foot, but most can't see the right side edge of that foot. Here's a picture of sewing on graph paper to find that scant 1/4".

Great visual Annette!

I do this also.

I have used an index card - perfect 1/4". BUT, I went back to my days of sewing my kids clothes - I always iron my seams OPEN - then there is never the issue of dealing with the 'bump' that takes up that scant.

Donnai--My LQS owner told me to set my needle position one notch to the right and that would be a scant 1/4 inch. I never really checked it, but that is what I do now. It works out--I've also gotten pretty good at squeezing and stretching ( I know, that is a no no, but I do it anyway).

I would only use it if pattern called for it most simple patterns all you need is stitch consistency

Scant, every time.

Thank you all for your ideas! There are so many good ideas here, I'm going to try all of them and see what works for me. I never thought that I may be cutting my fabric too small in the first place. I knew I'd get lots of help from this Board! Romanojg, I'm going to be making a sampler too, finishing at 6", so I really need to be accurate.

I agree with Buckeye Rose and Paper Princess. There is SO MUCH discussion about 1/4" seams and the answer is in the measurement of the pieces being sewn together! Several things figure into this..the weight of the fabric, the thread you are using, etc. Don't dwell on the seam, but do make sure your pieces, when sewn together, are the correct measurement.

Truly, unless you are swapping blocks, what does it matter? If you use your 1/4" on all the blocks, they should be all the same. Simple. Do not over think a fairly easy process!

If you are swapping blocks, measure like crazy until you finish with the desired size.