katiebear1

Oh me too ! Glad I am not the only one :)

Ilovemydogs

! I hear ya! I do pretty good at the reg 1/4 inch. I am lucky to do that. I have noticed on my new machine, looks like it is a scant 1/4 when i sew. But I just try to make all the seams match, good enough for me!

Glassquilt

They sewed along the seam line and the seam allowance was the fabric left over.

Many of us cut first and sew the seam based on the cut edge. That's what leads to difference between quilters' blocks. If I draw a line and sew on that line it doesn't matter what the seam allowance turns out to be.

Jennoh2

More scant questions - does scant mean towards the outside edge? If so, do I sew the 1/4 inch, then resew it and pull out the 1/4 inch sew line. This all seems very confusing to me, also. How do you guage 1 - 2 threads smaller?

MargeD

It's just a slightly narrow 1/4" seam. I use a 1/4" pressure foot with a metal stop on the outside, so you put fabric up against that and you have the perfect 1/4", move it over so there is a slight space between the fabric and the metal stop and it's a scant 1/4". Mary Ellen Hopkins says that the 1/4" seam is your own PPM (personal private measurement), and as long as you continue using the same 1/4" on the same machine you should be fine. Now I suppose I have made this as clear as mud, but happy quilting anyway.

Sewfine

Um!! I did not know there was a difference either. Thanks for sharing. I have really learned a lot here. That's were most of my time go when I am suppose to sewing or quilting. Hee hee hee!

charity-crafter

I did that and let me tell you it was not pretty. It wouldn't lay flat. I had little mole hills through out my top. I pulled and pleated the corners to match, it was interesting.

CruisingStef

I just use the straight 1/4 inch seam. I can't see a few extra threads. I say don't worry about it.

mac

You can also buy a "scant" 1/4" foot. I have one for my featherweight. This foot will also fit my Viking and White sewing machines. I use this foot a lot and my blocks come out perfectly. The cost of the foot was about $13.00, as I recall. I even like it better than the 1/4" foot for my Bernina.

paulswalia

"Scant" becomes important on a complex block with lots of seams. If you oversize a seam by 1/32 of an inch (ya, I know, who can measure that?)and have 8 seams in the block, you will be off 1/4 inch on the block. Multiply that times 8 blocks across the quilt and now you are off an inch. If you then have a pieced border to put on, you won't get it to fit without mega stretching or tucks. So there, you scant say I didn't tell you!