Scant Quarter

Recently Diann/Little Penguin Quilts posted that she was flummoxed by a "scant" quarter inch so I thought I'd tell her (and anyone else reading) how I handle the scant quarter -- with my ruler!  

But first, just what does "scant quarter" mean?  Sometime way back in my 25 years of quilting I was told it means about 2 threads less than a full 1/4 inch.  That would account for the stitching thread itself and the distance of the fabric as it is pressed back around the thread in the seam. (I wanted to insert a drawing at this point but I've forgotten how to do that 😕).

My solution:  Don't deduct 2 threads from the seam; add 2 threads to the cutting!  Make sure the line (which is about 2 threads wide) is fully ON the fabric, not bumped up next to the edge of the fabric.

(I exaggerated the position of the vertical line in this photo to make sure you could see what I mean.)  Hence, I'm adding the "scant" to my fabric, rather than taking it away from the seam!

Of course, it's also important to be certain I stitch an accurate quarter inch seam. I don't know about you, but focusing on the edge of a presser foot or following a groove on the needle plate is hard on these old eyes. So I set up a very basic seam guide.

I use a piece of a Sewing Edge strip which is about as thick as two layers of fabric so I can keep my fabric in place with a finger resting on top of it.  And it's not in the way if I need to sew something with a wider seam allowance.  It works on both metal and plastic.

There is a variety of tools to help set a seam guide.  I have found the best have a hole for the needle so that the guide can butt up against the tool when held in place by the presser foot. 

With the needle in the 1/4" hole, I drop the presser foot to hold the tool straight, then put the purple strip in a place that will not be disturbed if I need to remove the needle plate (or access the bobbin as is the case with my small portable machine).

All of these supplies should be available at your local quilt shop, but if not, there's always Amazon.

I hope this helps!