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.

Hi,

I set my Babylock machines stitch to 6.0 and it's a scant 1/4 inch, and after you press your seam to one side it's a perfect 1/4 inch.
I sew all my quilts with that setting and have all my machines set like that. My dealer had me do it.
Hope that helps.

Bev

Thank you all so much, Your answers are really useful.

as someone said its a thread or 2 width less than a 1/4 inch.

i prefer to put those 2 threads into my rotary cutting instead of worrying about sewing just shy.

the 1/4 inch foot that came with my machine is perfectly a 1/4 inch so why mess with perfection when i can just add those threads into my cutting and sew the 1/4 inch.

so if you want to cut a 2.5 inch strip of fabric cut it at 2.5 inches and 2 threads.

Thank you. Do you measure from your needle to the edge of the 1/4 inch foot outer edge?

yes, i measured from the needles center position to the outside edge of my 1/4 inch foot and it measures spot on.

Thanks that is helpful.

What kind of Babylock machine do you have? Interesting point to have them set on 6.0 because I don't think the 1/4" foot is working accurately.