Scant 1/4" Seams

 

Are you having trouble getting those scant 1/4" seams?  Yes, a quilter's foot for  your machine is great, but can be expensive.  I have tried using painter's tape, masking tape, sticky notes (stacked up) and mole skin. Nothing was satisfactory to me.  The tapes came off too easily (when I didn't want them to), the grandkids had too much fun with the sticky notes and the mole skin wouldn't come off!  :-/

One of our customers told me of this neat trick.

The only thing you need is a lined index card and a sewing machine that the needle will change positions.

Line up the side of the presser foot with a line on the index card.  Now, start sewing.  Move your needle position so it is just barely to the right of the line.  Wah La! You  now have sewn a scant 1/4".  Just make sure you record exactly which position you needle is in for future use. 

Fast & Easy Pillowcase

Fabric Requirements
28" x wof* for main body
3" x wof* for accent piece
10" x wof* for cuff
 *(width of fabric)

Instructions

 

 Press all pieces.

                                       

 Press accent strip in half lengthwise.

 

Lay cuff out, right side up.  Mark center along top raw edge. 

(Yellow Flower Head pin marks the center.)

Mark center raw edge of folded accent strip.

Match center of accent strip and center of cuff.

Pin from center out.  (Your selvages edges will not necessarily match up.)

Place main body on top of accent strip, right side down.

Match center of main body and center of accent and cuff.

Pin from center out.

 

 

Taking hold of bottom of main body,

lift up toward pinned raw edges.

Fold bottom up until about 2" from top.  

 

Take the fold of main body up to about 2" from top.

Now roll up the bottom of the main body toward the top;

stopping where the rest of the main body is folded to.

 

You are now going to make a tube by folding the bottom of the cuff up over everything

and pinning it to the top raw edges.  

Sew along raw edge, using a 1/2" seam.

HERE COMES THE FUN PART!

Grab hold of one corner of the main body

from inside the tube. 

Slowly pull it out, turning the cuff right side out as you do so. 

 

Press the inside of the pillowcase cuff,

making sure you press it all the way out.

Press the right side of the pillowcase cuff,

again making sure you press it all the way out. 

The accent strip will be pressed toward the main body, not the cuff.

 

Fold the pillowcase in half, lengthwise, right sides together.  Now is the time to square off those selvage edges.  Square up the bottom of the pillowcase also.

Sew down the side of the pillowcase.

You can use a straight stitch then zigzag the raw edges, do a French seam or serge this step and the next.  Sew across the bottom of the pillowcase - FROM THE SEAM TO THE FOLD

(this makes sure you don't get a pucker in it).

Turn right side out and press!  You now have a great pillowcase. 

I first started making these for my boys when they were younger.  They had one for every month.

(It was the only way I could get them to change their sheets as teenagers!) Carolyn