Which way do I press my seams?
 

Sorry if this is a silly question but i need your help. I've got several horizontal rows of blocks that I'm now joining together with lengths of sashing. I've attached my first row of sashing along the top strip but I'm unsure which direction to press the seam. The sashing fabric is gold and the fabric around the blocks is black with the same gold as sashing in between each block (hope that makes sense).

Thank you for your help.
Anna Marie

From what I am reading I would press toward the sashing because it would lay flatter and have no build up of layers. Usually I try to press toward the darker fabric, but in this case because of thicknesses I would go toward the sash.

Thank you both for your help/advice I had read somewhere on line that there are no rules as such to pressing of seams and that you can press them open to reduce bulk too but being relatively new to quilting I couldn't remember what I did for my last quilt. Before I did anymore stitching I thought I'd ask.

I often stitch in the ditch along the slashing so I press whichever side I want the ditch to be. That is usually on the block side

I try to go in this order:
press toward the darker fabric
press toward the direction of least resistance or least # of crossing seams (if the fabrics are not too different in dark/light)
press open if there are a lot of seams (I try to use a smaller stitch length if I'm going to do this)

Hi there! I know you've gotten some good advice, I just wanted to comment on pressing open to reduce bulk. Normally that is what I do within a pieced block where are a lot of seams. Keeps it laying flat. When adding sashing though you only have bulk on one side as the sashing is only one fabric. So if you pressing open you still have one side bulkier then the other so it won't be flat. Make sense? That's why I have learned to press to the sashing. Hope that helps with reasoning it out.

In other words you have a wide choice of ways to press. Make sure you are pressing and not ironing . To press set the seam by pressing the seams together on the back . From the front seams to dark side and almost a gentle punching action to the seam and hold on top.

A big thank you to everyone for your help and advice. I'll be back on the quilt tomorrow now I know what to do. :)

If I know I will be wanting to press towards a lighter fabric - I will have the lighter fabric stick out a couple of threads from the darker one when I sew the seam - that way when I press it to the lighter side, the dark fabric won't show.

Or one can shave off a couple of threads of the darker fabric.