Please could someone tell me what a scant quarter is in relation to a quarter inch seam allowance? I have seen this mentioned quite a lot but am unsure what exactly it is.

I believe it's just a thread or two width less than a full 1/4. I'm sure someone else can give you a better answer.
:) :)

that's the exact answer. :thumbup:

yep molliesue that is the answer

I can understand your confusion. I did too and played with my sewing machine, I own a Babylock Ellure. I had to use a regular foot, not a quilting foot and adjust the width (needle from left to right) to 7.00 mm. Bear in mind that every sewing machine's measure aren't the same but as accurate. I found that its in btwn 1/8th and 1/4 inch if that makes any sense. My suggestion? Play with your machine, create a block that will measure 12 1/2 inch (www.quilterscache.com has many! and an easy one :) ) and work with it. Once I got it I had perfect squares. Not all patterns for blocks will ask for a "scant 1/4" but its safe to say when it does at least you know the width for it. If I'm wrong here any one can stop me! lol! :-P :-P

You did excellent!!

If you make the whole quilt with the same machine, your seam allowances for the whole quilt will be more or less equal so your blocks should fit together. Your 12 inch blocks may measure 11 7/8 instead of 12, but they'll all be that tiny bit small and your whole quilt will be a little bit smaller. So if it's a quilt for you, it's not as critical. If you're swapping pieced blocks w/ another person, it becomes very, very important to have the proper seam allowances.

I also use the same seam allowance throughout the block construction and only manipulate when it comes to matching points. That's when the seam allowance sometimes does not work consistently and I'd rather adjust it than cut off my points.

that's it.

Perfect answers here. I got a quarter inch foot and that helped alot.