Why I'm In Love With My Perkins Perfect Piecing Seam Guide

I'm still just beginning my Summer Solstice Quilt, but it is definitely an exercise in detail and precision. I truly have to be the world's most impatient perfectionist - I can't stand slow-moving progress, but non-matching points make me crazy, too. So, as part of my Summer Solstice Quilt, I've been looking for ways to increase my accuracy quickly and easily. I remember another blogger reviewing the "Perkins Perfect Piecing Seam Guide" (apologies I can't remember who it was now!). I was able to find one on Amazon for more than it should have been, and even forked over an extra $4 for next day shipping. I'm just that impatient.

Well, what an awesome decision all that was. I am so in love with this ruler (though for the record, I have no affiliation at all with the company or the ruler). It slides under my presser foot and lets me move my needle until I find the perfect scant quarter-inch seam. It is 100% quick, easy, and accurate. And it's so darn small that I can keep it right by machine without cluttering my space. 

I think the ruler is particularly handy for my Janome Horizon because it eases my transition between Acufeed and regular feet -- a switch I do constantly when I'm piecing. (For those unfamiliar with Janome's Acufeed feature it is essentially a built in walking-foot on steroids. It works amazingly well, but because the Acufeed feet are very large, the needle positions between Acufeed vs. regular feet are wildly different).
Before this ruler, I kept a mental list of needle positions for my most used piecing feet: my regular quarter-inch (O2) foot, my quarter-inch foot for Acufeed, and my open toe foot for Acufeed. The cheat sheet wasn't that bad, but I found myself constantly questioning whether my "scant" quarter inch seams were consistent across all the presser feet. Now I don't have to worry, and I can make the adjustments in seconds. See?

I've also started using the ruler to double check the accuracy of my seams. It's sort of reassuring to do now and then, and helps avoid a huge seam-ripping mess. 

And the best part? I have the most perfect half-square triangles that I've ever made. Time to start sewing them up!