I have a 1/4 inch seam foot that came with my machine and it works great but gives a full 1/4 inch seam. I loose almost 1/8 inch from pressing so I was wondering if anyone has found a foot with a guide that achieves a SCANT 1/4 inch seam?

I placed a blue tape strip on my machine to use as a guide for the SCANT line but it doesn't really work well because once your fabric goes over the line into the blue tape, you can't tell you are over the line instead of just along it. I guess I could move the tape to the left side (so it is under the fabric) and have it poke out just a tiny sliver so that I watch to make sure I always have just that small sliver of blue showing. I really like the guide edge on my 1/4 inch foot and would just like to find a similar one that does a SCANT 1/4 inch.

If you can move your needle in increments to the right that would give you a "scant".

You can keep your fabric a "hair" under the edge of the 1/4" foot, which will give you the desired result. It's only a thread or two less than 1/4" that you want.

No, you have to adjust the needle (usually one click) to get the scant. However, I have an old Viking (not that old) that the button for 1/4" sets it at the scant.

What brand and model of machine do you have?
I have Vikings and move the needle to the right.

I have a Janome 6019QC. I didn't see anything about moving the needle over in the manual. I'll have to look again.

It's not all in the sewing. If you are losing an 1/8" each seam, it's probably also due to cutting, pressing, and thread. I've struggled with this myself and using 50wt thread (Aurifil or Masterpiece for me, but Mettler, CT, and others also have 50wt), pressing carefully with a hot, dry iron, and cutting just a few layers at time, carefully, has helped as much as careful sewing. My favorite piecing machines are my Berninas, in part because of how great the 1/4" feet (one with a sturdy right guide, one without). Featherweights are also great for piecing and there are so many aftermarket feet for them that you are sure to find one that suits you. My Quest Plus is also a great piecing machine. Another big help is a screw down seam guide.

My Viking does that as well. The only other suggestion I would add is to take a stack of post-it notes to mark your 'scant' measurement. This way your fabric is butting up against the stack vs. sliding over the edge of the tape.

Oh, and I can move the needle over one click even with the 1/4" feet. My Quest Plus has 81 (yes, eight-one!) needle positions, so I can move it a couple clicks even with the straight stitch feet.

Another needle mover over here. Good luck!

Some of my machines don't let me move the needle, so I have to use some kind of a guide. A quarter inch foot does a quarter inch, so have to squinch the fabric over. Not easy for me. I still struggle with the 1/4 inch.

try Moleskin..it is sticky on one side..removable..you will find it in the foot area of your drug store. just cut a strip of it.
the rest of the advise was great!

I have a Janome 6300 and I adjust the width to 4.5 and use the 1/4 inch foot and it gives me a scant 1/4 inch.
It's just where you can adjust the stitch length and width. I assume your machine has that feature.

I find it a lot easier to use moleskin than a special foot. As someone else mentioned, moleskin is available in the foot section of pharmacies. I use my rotary cutter to cut strips of it to have on hand.

To position the moleskin, I use my favorite ruler (you can also use 4-to-the-inch graph paper) and lower the needle so it touches a little to the right of the 1/4" mark. I make sure the ruler is positioned straight from front to back (I often place another ruler next to the one I am using and position the straight lines on the ruler in relation to the needle plate markings), then lower the presser foot to hold it in place. I remove the backing paper from a strip of moleskin and position it so it butts right up against the edge of my ruler. I like the moleskin to run as far as possible to both the front and back of the ruler; helps me keep the fabric feeding evenly.

I find with this physical barrier that I can sew long strips together much faster than by using my eyes alone, plus it is easier and more accurate.

Moleskin is one of my favorite notions.

one other thing to note is that when you are cutting, most ppl have the line on the rule off the fabric, the line on the rule should be part of the fabric.

Thanks for the suggestions of moleskin and even a smaller stack of post-its!!

Also, the comment about cutting with the ruler measurement marking a bit on the fabric instead of beyond the fabric. I learned that the hard way on my first big quilt that had numerous pieces per block--I ended up almost a 1/4 inch short on every single block so I had to cut them down and then the matching sub-seams were not even from block to block. When I thought about it, I realized that the way I placed the ruler on the fabric made the cut just a hair short; so that combined with the fabric "lost" in the seam I was bound to end up a bit short on the block size.

There are some on ebay that has a guide bar on there that keeps your fabric in liine and it gives a scant 1/4
I got mine off there after doing a search for sewing machines.
Tammy

You can also build up layers (5 or 6) of your blue tape so you can feel the ridge.

Great idea! :thumbup: :thumbup: Thanks

Have realized my Viking has a 1/4 " seam in it's programmed stitches! It is fabulous and works like a charm. I tried marking, taping, 1/4 " presser feet before I "found" it already on my machine. I am a slow learner!! but better late than never!

You know, my machine does that, but I never think of it when I'm piecing!!! How dumb of me!!!! Thanks for the reminder. :thumbup:

Some 1/4 inch feet are single hole and will not allow you to "needle over " . If you can indeed needle over and your foot is a single hole , invest in a 1/4 inch that has the wider opening that you can needle over to a scant 1/4 inch.
My original 1/4 inch foot for my Viking was a single hole, great to keep the machine from occasionally eating the small peices of fabric but I needed the ability to move my needle on occasion.

You can get a magnetic seam guide at Hancock's that is "thick" enough to keep your fabric from shifting over it. It is better than using a post it note, or tape or moleskin. Of course your machine base would have to be metal for the magnetic guide to hold. I have only seen them at Hancock's, but you might find them in other fabric shops.
http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Magnet...VVviewprod.htm

Another magnetic sewing guide:

https://atlaslevy.3dcartstores.com/Magnetic-Gauge-Magnetic-Sewing-Guide_p_530.html]https://atlaslevy.3dcartstores.com/M...ide_p_530.html[/url]

I too use Moleskin..but was wondering..how are you losing 1/8" when pressing???

I have the magnetic seam guide but don't use very much. Mine would shift a little on me while I was sewing. I don't know if I was doing something wrong or not. I'm also trying to find a way of marking a scant 1/4" on my machine, too. I'm using a Kenmore and I can't move the needle over and with marking the scant, I'm starting to get into the feed dogs. Any suggestions?

I bought the 1/4 edge joinning foot from Viking and move my needle over 2 clicks and it works really well as it has a lip to butt the fabric against.

I worked at a Sheltered Workshop as a Supervisor in a Textile plant. Teaching our Clients to sew was a challenge at times.The sewing was done with older industrial machines. No frill like zig zag or moving needles. To mark our seam allowances we cut a 1/8" thick piece of painters tape or electrical tape and mark the machine. Cut it about 4" long being careful to place it straight on the bed of your machine. The fabric slides along that 1/8" ridge. You get a perfect seam.

I have Janome machines and the needle won't move either...bummer! I struggle with the same issue. Thanks for the tip about stitch width - I'm going to try that and see if that helps me. Hope it helps you too!

Another consideration may be the thread - some threads use up more "space" when seems are pressed to one side. :-)

Regarding stitch width, are you using the controls that are essentially for a zig-zag pattern for your quilting straight stitch?? I have mine set on 0. I have a straight stitch throat plate on so the fabric doesn't get sucked down. Moving the needle at all (I can't move mine over on my machine) would make it hit my throat plate I believe??

Last night I tried the moleskin and didn't really like the feel as I thought the edge was too soft. I tried the post-its and it was nice and firm but by this morning they had popped off already so I would have to be constantly resetting the stack of post-its and making sure they are in the correct place. One of my problems is that my bobbin case is right in the way as well so if I do post-its or moleskin it blocks the door to my bobbin case and my view to see how full/empty the case is.

It works!

I used to hve the same problem. I went to using "so fine " thread by Superior. I use my "fat" threads for other sewng.

I have several low shank machines and use this foot for all my piecing.

I don't think I could piece without it!

I had an extra 1/4 inch foot. Dh has a grinder so I had him take 2 thread widths off one of them. My own scant foot.

true4uca, that sounds possible. So based on the photo just above your post, did you remove the guide bar on the right side (as looking at the photo) and grind down a few thread widths on that side then reattach the foot guide?? Can you maybe expand further on what you did?

ETA: it does not look like the guide bar can be removed from my foot.

Hi TN Gal,

Which machines do you have... I have the 4900 and the Horizon and on both these machines the needle can be moved!

Hope this helps...

Hugs

I have the Janome 6019 Quilter's Companion and the needle does not move on this one.

I have Janome machines. Mine have only 2 needle positions. I own a 1/4" ft., but don't use it because it does not give me a scant 1/4" plus I dislike the metal bar. I use my "A" foot, with my needle in the far left position, using as a guide the right "line/mark/groove" where the metal portion attaches to the plastic portion (on the bottom of the foot). There is of course a matching left side mark; occasionally, I need to use the left one and I then move the needle to the center position. Another good thing about sewing with the needle in the left position is that my fabric does not get sucked into the hole, as I do not have a single-hole plate.