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Originally Posted by quiltsRfun
(Post 7983445)
Make a sample block, measure, adjust your seams accordingly. Do what's needed to get the correct finished size. "Quarter-inch" seams vary from person to person and machine to machine.
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The scant 1/4" is all about turn-of-the-cloth. When you iron a seam, some fabric is taken up by the turn at the seam. If you start with two 5" squares, sew an exact 1/4" seam (meaning 1/4" allowance to the right of the sewing thread), and iron them open, theoretically you should have a rectangle that measures 5" wide by 9.5" long. However, in real life it will measure something like 5" wide by 9.46" long. This is because part of the fabric not in the seam allowance has been taken up by the turn at the seam line.
With many patterns, the exact finished size doesn't matter. With some patterns, it does matter. For this reason, it is good to be able to achieve a scant seam when you need it. The easiest way for me to ensure even scant seams is to create a physical barrier on the bed of my machine. I use molefoam for this. Basically all I have to do is butt the raw edges up against this barrier to sew a consistent seam at the depth I want. |
Prism explained it well. And since there's a variation in fabric and thread, there can't be a foot or other tool that tells you exactly where that scant quarter inch line should be. You need to find it yourself, based on the fabric and thread you're using for that project.
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I'm so glad someone else dislikes this as much as me!!! I find it to be a real PITA :)
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The thing that always bothers me is that although we talk about the width of the seam, you shouldn't measure the seam you measure the resultant patch. Sew with the size seam that will result in the right sized block. As mentioned, there are some patterns that as long as your seams are all the same you'll be good. Other more complex blocks require more precision. It takes the same amount of time to sew the correct seam as incorrect. I'd rather spend a few minutes fine tuning my seam at the start of every project than lots of time stretching, easing or ripping blocks to fit.
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Originally Posted by Boston1954
(Post 7983482)
I have been quilting since 1992 and have to achieve the perfect 1/4 inch seam. My six inch block end up being 5 7/8. I don't worry because I am making them all, and they will be off by the same amount. If something says scant, I avoid it. It does seem odd that they say that. I would think they'd make them the same.
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Tiny patches, like 1" finished blocks or smaller, require you measure the block, not the seam, in order to make a perfect patch. That is how I make miniature quilts. Heck with the scant, it is what it is to make the patch perfect.
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I have read that the accuracy in cutting these days does make some difference too. A simple 9 patch can be any size seam you want as long as you are consistent. A block that has 1 seam on one side and 3 on the other has to have a seam that measures to your finished block. I am getting better with scant, but I always have to sew a bit and then measure what my finish is going to be. It's just more to add to the challenge. I am sewing a log cabin precut kit right now. I know where the seam has to be on my 1/4 inch foot and where I have to move the needle, to get a size that the next log will fit perfectly. A true quarter inch is too big a seam. The scant is 2 threads less and when I move the needle 1 click to the left, I am perfect. And, I have to make sure I am running the material right at the edge of the foot. Sometimes all this stuff just drives me nuts, but I just get over it and continue on.
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I use EQ7 to design quilt blocks and have noticed for some blocks at certain sizes the absolutely accurate block size may be in an increment of 1/16 of an inch. In this case, recognizing that very few users want to cut in 1/16" increments the designer may choose to instruct the user to use a scant quarter of an inch.
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Originally Posted by Prism99
(Post 7983569)
The scant 1/4" is all about turn-of-the-cloth. When you iron a seam, some fabric is taken up by the turn at the seam. If you start with two 5" squares, sew an exact 1/4" seam (meaning 1/4" allowance to the right of the sewing thread), and iron them open, theoretically you should have a rectangle that measures 5" wide by 9.5" long. However, in real life it will measure something like 5" wide by 9.46" long. This is because part of the fabric not in the seam allowance has been taken up by the turn at the seam line.
With many patterns, the exact finished size doesn't matter. With some patterns, it does matter. For this reason, it is good to be able to achieve a scant seam when you need it.it The easiest way for me to ensure even scant seams is to create a physical barrier on the bed of my machine. I use molefoam for this. Basically all I have to do is butt the raw edges up against this barrier to sew a consistent seam at the depth I want.
Originally Posted by SusieQOH
(Post 7983581)
I'm so glad someone else dislikes this as much as me!!! I find it to be a real PITA :)
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