One of the most important tasks when piecing a quilt is sewing ¼” seams that are consistent throughout the entire pieced quilt. It is imperative to have perfectly matched seams, creating blocks that are the desired finished size. What if I told you that the easiest way to do this is using your serger? Not only is it good for sewing ¼” seams, but it also leaves the wrong side of the quilt top nice and tidy with no raw edges.
Quarter Inch Seams
Piecing with a wide overlock 4-thread stitch (the strongest serger piecing stitch) is simple and the first thing to do is to set the overlock machine to sew a ¼” seam.
The cutting width setting is the key to serging a ¼” seam allowance. I sew on a BERNINA L860 overlock machine. My cutting width is set at 6mm. On most sergers, the cutting width, knob, dial, or lever is usually located near the needle/knife area. Increase or decrease the setting as needed until the left needle is ¼” from the knife. Serge a test seam to make sure the seam allowance measures a quarter inch wide.
My latest video shows how to piece a Rail Fence quilt block using the 4-thread overlock stitch. Simple and quick to piece, the Rail Fence pattern is perfect for beginner quilters. Click here or on the image below to watch.
As always,
As editor of "The Big Book of Feet: A Guide to BERNINA Presser Feet and Accessories," Susan created Sewfeet to provide Educational Courses, Content, and Resources to help you with all your sewing projects.