I'm working on 2 lap-sized D9P's, and using Izy's easy intersections tutorial ( http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-28328-1.htm ), which is SO helpful BTW!!! If you haven't looked or you haven't tried this method, it makes life so easy...

Anyway, It's much easier for me to iron the seams to one side or the other instead of ironing them open (I don't have a nifty quilting iron yet), and I'm wondering what other people do.

Is there a 'proper' way to iron them? It seems like with the scant 1/4" seam it's hard to iron them open nicely, but maybe that's just me.

Thanks!

I press seams to the side, usually toward the darker fabric, but not always.

If I have a lot of seams intersecting at one point, I press them open. Otherwise I always press them to one side. But there are as many answers to this as there are fish in the sea. ;)

If you are from the garment industry, we used to iron our seams flat, spread open, but for quilting, I have been trained... and this has been a question answered before, you press to the dark side of the seam. to not show the dark through lighter fabric.
They have the neatest ironing tools. Check out your local stores. little flat irons are sold now, look like what I used to patch linen drawings in the 1970's. Draftsman then. really nice, will not stretch fabric from over pressing.

So, my experience with lots of classes and last time round with this.. keep seam fabric together and pressed to darker fabric side.

good luck !
Ell

I prefer seams open - except on the borders - I usually press towards the outside of the quilt - don't know why - just do :)

Sometimes open and sometimes to the side. I agree pressing them open is sometimes a pain, literally. But I still try to do it expecially at intersections. No right or wrong here.

I always used to press to one side, but since I read this I don't worry if I want to press open - depends what I'm making. But intersections do nest better with pressing to one side alternately.
This is interesting reading
http://www.straw.com/equilters/libra...SeamsOpen.html

deedles215:

Press to the side....but in some situtations press open... such as the middle of a pinwheel or lemoyne star when you have many fabrics coming together at one intersection... Generally try to press to the darker side... however.. you can go the opposite way if you need to leave an intersecting point visible so that you cross sew through the point...you'll get the hang of it.

Okay, thank you for all the responses! I figured it was okay to iron to the side, but I wanted to be sure I wasn't committing quilting crime 101.

I've been pressing to the side and it hasn't given me any problems, just wanted to know if I should start ironing open because that would be the 'proper' way to do so.

Thank you!

Actually, it's quilting crime 207. LOL

I was always told that pressing to one side is a stronger seam than pressing open. Also that way if there is any pull, you don't see the thread between the pieces.

My only rule of thumb is to do which ever "seams" appropriate for what the situation calls for. On some of the newer quilt patterns that have few or no intersecting seams (4 Layer Cake for example) I press them toward the side because it's easier. As patterns and blocks get more complicated I more often press the seams open. Marsha McCloskey was recommending pressing seams open waaaay back when she published a book on Feathered Stars. If I do press my seams open I don't worry about it for just the reasons that the article Katrine referenced talked about.
And always remember there are no quilt police, only quilt peace-keeping organizations.
Penny

You press to one side, unless, of course, the block seems to need open seams... Or!!!

We will all have variations of the answer, because we are all individuals. Sometimes we do as we are told, and sometimes we are happier doing it differently.

You have to decide what you are going to do, based on how you are going to quilt, the number of seams meeting, etc.

So do as you like. You will learn what works best for you. :wink:

HAHA!!! Well, you never know... lol!!!! :lol:

Quilting from the Heartlands host always does open pressing.
All the others do to the side.
I use both depending on the block and how it will lay.

I have always ironed to the side. Sometimes it is a little thick when I am hand quilting, but I am in the habit.

Loved reading all these...there's just not ever going to be a single RIGHT way...and the only WRONG way is the one that doesn't work. I try to press for ease of construction... but if that doesn't give me the accuracy, well...I'll try another way! For those times that pressing to the light is absolutely best, I've been told to make sure that the darker seam allowance is graded just a touch narrower to insure that it won't creep out from under the lighter one.

And the fine is one FQ per infraction.....sent to ME!!! LMBO

I press to the side most often, but as previously stated
sometimes open to get a seam to lay flatter. :D:D:D

I am going to try pressing some seams open especially at intersections and see if they match up easier. No all match up perfectly iron to one side. I am willing to try most things at least one. I am trying for the perfect quilt. DD says there is no such thing, I say there is and I want to make one. We'll see who is right,,,, maybe.

I press mine to the side. It just seems to work better for me.

Ladies, if you are going to send your quilt to a long arm they prefer closed seams ironed to the outside. The bottom bobbin picks up the edge of the opened side and causes problems. I think if you are doing this yourself you can pretty much do as you like. If you are working with a long arm machine each layer comes off a different roller. A lot different than I ever did before. Just my 2 cents. There are a lot of fine ladies that have a heap more experience than I do. Always my best to all of you.

I agree, and that's probably the reason why on a quilt the seams are pessed to one side (for strength), whereas, other types of sewing, it appears to be open--so it would lay flat perhaps?