Explain or describe to me just what you consider Stitch in the Ditch.
 

As a mostly hand quilter I don't really understand what other quilters mean when they say Stitch in the Ditch. For simple hand quilting I usually stitch about 1/4 inch on either side of the piecing seam. The former term makes me think that you are stitching in the space between the seams, possibly over your piecing stitches. If that is the case how does that hold the piecing together? The method I use makes the designs pop as I may not stitch around each piece but the completed designs made by the piecing. If I were to do what I interpret stitch in the ditch to be it would be with machine quilting and I would use at least a small zigzag stitch to be sure that I caught both edges of the piecing.

When I SID, it is right next to the seam. If you stitch right on the seam you might break the piecing seam, not sure because we do cross over them. The SID is not supposed to stand out, it is kind of a hidden quilting, it makes the block standout.

SITD by machine for me usually means, almost in the ditch or sometimes in the ditch. :D If all your seams are pressed to the side, then when you machine stitch on the side without the seam allowances, you are not stitching over the seam line but right next to it. If you are pressing your seams open, then I stitch right beside the seam stitching line.

I aim to stitch directly IN the ditch...that way you do not see the stitching, if I do it right that is! <grin> What this does is stabilizes the blocks. Especially important if you are machine quilting.

If you stitch on the side away from the pressed seam allowances right up to the edge, your stitching kind of falls in the shadow of the seam allowances and can't be seen. Theoretically. I, personal, Meander Around the Ditch now matter how hard I try to SID.

I press to the side. It seems to me that SITD would make a stronger quilt as long as you're stitching either in the seam or on the side with the seam allowances by locking those seams in place.
Rodney

The ditch is the side of the piecing without the seam allowances. I was always taught that stitch in the ditch is a line of stitching just a few threads to that side of the seam, with color matched thread, and virtually invisible. The idea is that by stitching in the ditch, you avoid having to go through the additional 2 layers of fabric that are from the seam allowances.

I'm not fond of stitch in the ditch, and I will do almost anything to avoid that type of quilting. It's actually one of the most demanding methods-- if you're even a few threads off, it can look bad, and any wobble or deviation calls attention to itself. A more free form, doodling style of FMQ is far more forgiving -- who's to say what a swirl or a petal or leave should do? Ditch stitching is not really up for creative interpretations.

I stitch in the ditch all the time, and my stitch is right on top of the seam stitch. Since I press my seams to one side, it makes a strong stitch. I don't really like my quilting stitches to show. Just me....and I am pretty happy with it. It's not everyone's cup of tea, I know. :)

Dina

A little history, stitching in the ditch was designed by the first machine quilters to disguise the fact their quilts weren't hand quilted. It's stitching in the low side of the seam.

For hand quilting, historically it has always been done 1/4" to the side of the seam. There is no point doing hand quilting in the seam, as it wouldn't show up!

Machine quilters do it in several different ways, including 1/4" to the side of the seam and right in the seam. Machine piecing is not as fragile as hand piecing, so machine sewing in the seam typically isn't a problem (because the quilt has also been machine pieced). I would never machine quilt over the seam of a hand-pieced quilt, as it could break the piecing thread.