My reaction was the same as yours when I first heard of a scant 1/4". Mentioned it in a class one day and the teacher explained that it allowed for the turning in the seam. Still didn't think much of it until I was making a quilt with lots of strips that had to fit inside these inside a frame. Nothing was fitting properly so decided to give the scant 1/4" a go. Like magic everything just fell into place as it should. I've used it ever since. I put a piece of masking tape on my machine then adjusted the needle. Just check the measurement from time to time. Trust me it does work.

I TRY but....

My feelings exactly!!! I quilt to have fun. I peice quilts to have fun. I quilt quilts on my home machine to have fun. If all is not perfect, sooooo what. My kids and grandkids love them. Even friends !!!!

i suspect . . .
 

you may be hearing more about scant 1/4" seams because of the increased use of Electric Quilt? i put together blocks for our local shop's block-of-the-month on EQ and lots of people said 'my blocks are measuring 9 1/4" instead of 9 1/2"'. so we talked about the importance of the 1/4" seam, scant, etc. it wouldn't matter so much if you're consistent with all 12 blocks, except that 6 of the blocks are applique with the background cut at 9 1/2". this increases the importance of the scant on the pieced blocks (the thread and pressing do use up some of that fabric), unless you want to trim down your applique blocks. it's a personal choice. we did stress that the 'quilt police' are out on strike for the year due to contract issues, so no worries :)

anyway, my point is that using EQ's measurements generally requires a scant 1/4" seam (if your cutting is accurate) to get the finished block measurements that you put into the program.

:) love this hobby!

Patty

last year was the first time I heard of scant 1/4 when a girlfriend and I took a quilting class. The instructor designed a pattern with stars and didn't tell us about the scant (we should have read the pattern first but thought she was the instructor and should have let us know about this) Thank goodness we only did one block and our star points weren't points. I put blue painters tape on my machine to keep the scant 1/4 when finishing this quilt

That 1/4" Thing
 

I heard about this when I started quilting 3 years ago....At first, I thought how in the world do you sew a "scant" quarter of an inch??? Since then, I have watched and read a lot about this 1/4" thing. One day I sat down at my machine with the miracle index card. I wanted to actually see the difference in a 1/4" and a "scant" 1/4"....On a ruled index card, the spaces are exactly 1/4". Sew I lined up the card with the ruled line directly under the needle so that the needle punched into the ruled line. From the top of that ruled line to top of the next ruled line is exactly 1/4". For a scant, you put the needle down on the side of the line (almost touching the line). That gave me a visual of the difference and how to adjust either my guide or my needle - which ever you can adjust. The index card trick is a good reference. I have a 1/4" foot I use for quilting - if I need a "scant", I have to sew just a thread's width inside the 1/4", but it is hard to keep it at a "scant". But, it really is a phenomenon and how it can effect what you're sewing. I love the Quilting Board - There are so many great quilters on here - I always learn something new everytime I read it.

I agree who ever dreamed up this scant 1/4 inch thing had nothing else to do I have never used it and my points have always matched years ago when Mary Ellen Hopkins was a very famous quilter with her book {it is ok to sit on my quilt} in her classes she taught the ppm measurements which is personal private measurment and she said consistance was more important that the seam allowance so I learned her way first then did learn to manage the quarter inch which is good enough for me after all quilting is suppose to be fun enjoy

I was telling my Mom about this just two days ago. We're working on a quilt together. Mom is 84, has been quilting since forever, and was just incredulous. It's why I rarely use a purchased pattern for quilts.

I first purchased a 1/4" foot, which helped, but had noticed Sew Classic offered a scant 1/4" foot. I purchased the scant 1/4" foot a couple of weeks later. My piecing has improved dramatically. It was well worth the purchase.

It's not a matter of being perfect. It is a matter of ending up with the block size that it is intended to finish up at. If your block is to finish at 12.5" and you don't use the scant 1/4", your block will finish up smaller. The scant is for allowance when pressing the seams open, not because designers are trying to make your quilting life harder. Just move the needle over 1 or 2 notches to the right and you will be fine and won't have to worry if you have a true 1/4" or a scant 1/4".