1/4 inch seam
 

I am having trouble keeping a straight 1/4 inch seam when using treadle. I have tried tape, sticky ruler and a plate with a screw but none work. Any suggestions are welcome.

Draw lines on the fabric like the hand-piecers used to do and sew on the lines?

(That would be time consuming - but less time consuming than unsewing wobbly seams.)

You can buy (or better yet borrow to see if you like it) a 1/4 foot for straight stitch machines. I'm assuming your machine is a low shank machine.
I use the seam guide that attaches to the bed of the machine. I admit I'm not much good with a treadle. I'm fine on long straight seams but if I'm piecing little stuff with a bunch of starts and stops I prefer the ease of electric. If you're trying to stay with people power a hand crank machine is nice for fiddly stuff. They aren't much (if any) slower than electric and I think I have better control using one.
Rodney

Even with my treadles I use either the 1/4" foot with the little spring loaded guide, or one of these fabric guides that mount to the bed:
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I cannot get a consistent seam with tape or credit cards or some of the other things that stick on the bed. I need a physical guide to work against.

Treadles take a wee bit more coordination, but in reality there's nothing different about the sewing part of it. Only that your feet and legs are moving to drive the machine.

Joe

I've found different feet work differently. Try a foot that matches it's original, and more than one if necessary. It's my belief, and I will stand corrected if wrong, feet working with feed dogs adjusted correctly should sew a straight stitch whether treadle, handcrank or electric powered.

Edit-I might add, I use a 201, 127, 66, 115, to get best straight stitches. Also, worn dogs or foot (as above) might compromise stitches.

I have had good luck with using the screw in fabric guides.

Joe I have the same issue. When I use painters tape I build up about 10-12 layers so I have that "edge", then put it where I want it on the machine. I make it long enough to go across the whole bed of the machine. Mindless sewing becomes much easier this way, I can just keep feeding fabric into the machine, chain piecing while watching tv. The only issue I've had with doing this is not realizing when my bobbin thread has run out!

Cari

What machine are you using? If it's a 201 or other straight stitcher, the inner edge of the standard foot is exactly 1/4"

Having refurbished quite a number of machines the one thing I've noticed is that not all machine sew straight. Some want to twist the fabric, some will gradually move it to one side or another, and some that are really out of adjustment or worn will try to rotate it.

If this happens a visual guide is all but useless. The sewist is fighting a mechanical problem that needs addressed. I have adjusted the alignment of the foot to the feed dogs on so many machines I've lost count. Most can be adjusted to sew straight, some simply will not cooperate.
Sometimes you even have to replace the foot even if it looks OK.
You may even have to replace the feed dogs if they are worn.

If you have a machine that is mechanically redirecting the fabric, you have to manually guide it every stitch. That gets tiring as you can't keep a straight stitch that way.
If the machine sews a little off then a physical barrier type guide might help at this point. And since there are so very many different kinds I fail to see the logic is wasting the time building up a wall of sticky tape on the bed of the machine.

If you want, take a strip of fabric about 3" wide, iron it flat, and start it with the presser foot centered. If it sews straight without being forced, then you and your machine is good to go. If not, then get the foot / feed dog problem fixed and sewing straight will be a lot easier.


Joe

I use multi layers of painter blue tape. I put and acrylic square under the pressure foot making sure it lines up and the start putting one strip down at a time. I think I put 6 layers. I have an older Bernina 1530.