When piecing your quilt top, having a quarter inch seam throughout will make it easier when you are piecing your blocks together. If you consistently have a quarter inch seam your blocks will match up and your quilt will come together with beautifully matched seams. If your quarter inch seam is even off by the width of a hair, that could make all the difference.
The easiest way to maintain that quarter inch seam is to use a quarter inch foot. Personally, I prefer a quarter inch foot with a guide. If your machine doesn’t come with a quarter inch foot, you could purchase it from your sewing machine dealer as an additional accessory. Often, the sewing machine dealer will throw it in free of charge when you buy a new machine.
Even with a quarter inch foot you should test your seam to make sure it is one quarter of an inch. You could do this in three easy steps.
- Cut three 2-inch squares. Once you have cut them, measure them for accuracy.
- Using your quarter inch foot carefully sew the three shares together.
- Press the seams to one side and measure the piece. It should measure five inches.
If your piece doesn’t measure five inches across, you should start by measuring your seams. If they measure one quarter of an inch, then it is possible that your squares weren’t each two inches. If your seams don’t measure one quarter of an inch each it could be human error. Try it again being careful that you are keeping your seams straight and following the guide on the foot.
If you end up with the same inaccurate results it is likely that your needle needs to be moved. If this is the case, check your machine manual for guidance on how to move your needle. If your seam is greater than one quarter of an inch, you will need to move your needle to the right. On the other hand, if your seam I less than one quarter of an inch, you will need to move your needle to the left.
What is a scant quarter inch seam?
I’m sure most of you have heard the term “scant quarter inch seam” but may not be sure exactly what that is. A scant ¼” seam is when the ¼” seam is off by the width of a thread. That may not seem like much, but when you have a block that contains a lot of seams, that adds up quickly and can change the size of your quilt. To determine if you have a scant quarter inch seam, follow the steps above. If everything measures accurately, you have created the perfect ¼” seam.
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