I do a solid 1/4 inch for quilts I know will be washed often. sometimes in trimming or squaring up a block, the seam allowance gets kind of small, and i would'nt want it to come apart

Ditto

Ok this might seem dumb and I know I have been on here for awhile but I'm still a newbie. I try to use a 1/4" but what is a scant??

Cheryl, look back up about 4 or 5 posts, I explain it there.

I use a 1/4 inch foot and move my needle over a smidge to the right.

Sometimes I want to use a 3/8", just because it gives me more "wiggle room" if my cutting is off. I don't, tho. I use a scant 1/4", like most do.

Interesting thread.... I just made some "snowball" blocks and found that sewing just a scant away from the drawn diagonal line helped the corners come out nicer. Normally I just do the 1/4" and don't think about it. I guess it depends on what block you are doing.

I forgot to click reply with quote ....
from Foxxigranni:

I try to use scant and the blocks never come out the right size, they don't come out the right size when I use a bigger size seam either. Question, how would I who is sewing challenged make a block that is the size its suppose to be? Do I cut it a scant bigger and sew it from there, do I cut all the pieces bigger and then cut it down to size what works. I am really tired of trying to make this work and it doesn't. I have been struggling with this very problem for yrs. I sew, measure again and its never the right size, what am I doing wrong?Thanks for any help you can give a very challenged person here. I do sew very carefully and when I get done its never never the size it says its suppose to be. HELP....
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I think I'm in your club. I'm happy when I sew a straight line !!!

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Do you starch the material before you cut it? Sometimes the material stretches which makes your block size off.

I have recently started doing this as a result of learning from the experienced on this board and am seeing improvement in what I produce :lol: