diannemc

How do you press seams.....Do you press seams open or to one side..I "try" to press them open but does it matter?? :?:

STAR

my mom taught me to press them closed but towards the darker fabric. so if you have a white block attached to a black you would want the seam pressed behind the black so that the bulk doesn't show through the white. Hope you understand that :oops: but not sure if it really matters

MadQuilter

Check out this thread

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/614.page

tlrnhi

I've seen blocks pressed both ways. I press to the side. I've worked with those that are pressed open and I really didn't care for them. To me, my opinion, the ends of the stitches needed to be backstitched so the stitches didn't come out. But, that's just my opinion.

thismomquilts

I press mine open because I like the look better - seems to lay flatter... but have pressed to the side sometimes - not in the same quilt...

MNQuilter

I press to the side so that when I am quilting in the the ditch, I am sewing fabric, not just the threads. I press to the darker fabric generally, but may change if I am needing to reduce bulk as I sew seams

Ninnie

It depends on the size of the block. When using small blocks, i press open. All others to the side

SharonC

I've only ever pressed open when I have 6 or more points joining. I try to press to the darker fabric but if I need to butt two pieces together I may have to press the other way. If that's the case, and the dark fabric shows through, then I just trim so it's not a distraction. :)
Hope that helps...

BellaBoo

I sew with a small stitch length and press seams open. It's easier to match seams with them pressed open and I don't have to hassle with remembering to press one seam one way and another the opposite way.

Pam B

According to the instructors at my LQS, the reason most quilters press to the side is to make the seam stronger. That said, I press to the side...it is quicker, too.