The Quarter Inch Seam

At the end of class on Wednesday, we were discussing the quarter inch seam.  How do you get a quarter inch seam?  When you are using your quarter inch foot, the distance between your needle and the right edge of your foot is exactly 1/4 inch. So, when you are sewing two pieces of fabric together, if you will position the right edge of your fabric along the right edge of your foot, your seam will be 1/4" wide.  The picture above shows the proper way to position your fabric to get a 1/4" seam.

Here's a test for finding out whether your seam is 1/4".  Cut 3 strips of (scrap) fabric that are 5" long and
 1 1/2" wide.  Sew the first strip to the second, sewing along the length of the strip.  Now sew the first two strips to the third.  Press the seams to either side.  Now measure the sewn piece.  If it measures 3 1/2" across, you have great quarter inch seams!  If it does not, keep trying until you get a piece that measures 3 1/2" wide.  We'll be doing this test next Wednesday, but try it now too!