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Amy’s guide to get your perfect seam for piecing…

 

Cut 3 strips 1½ inches by a minimum of 4 inches long. The length isn’t super important, cutting them accurately is!

Sew these strips together side-by-side using your quarter inch foot, a seam guide for ¼ inch seams, or your piecing method of choice.

 

quarter inch test

 

Ideally, your machine allows you to change your “needle-drop position” by small increments. This is done by moving the width setting while the machine is set up for straight stitch.

 

If you can’t fine tune the needle position enough, you may need to use a different foot, move your seam guide, use a different seam guide on the bed of the machine, OR it might be time to upgrade to a machine that can keep up with your creativity.  Contact us to learn about our machines that can adjust the needle position by 0.1mm at a time (91 needle positions total!) and can remember your settings so that you don't have to keep adjusting.

 

Other things will affect your ¼ inch seam; accurate cutting, the thickness of your fabric and thread, pressing, and how steadily you maneuver the pieces under the foot.

 

Finding the perfect settings for you means that your blocks will measure what they are supposed to when you are done.                                                      

Copyright 2018 Amy K Johnson for Sew Simple of Lynchburg and AmyQuilts.com