Debbie B

I've never tried SID. Some people have told me that SID is to stitch right into the seam and others have told me that it is to stitch along side the seam. Which is it? Thanks.

Cyn

I just barely stitch right off the seam.

irishrose

In the seam for me - as much as possible, of course.

amma

I like to use a serpentine stitch, it catches both seams. Other wise I try to hide the stitch right in the seam :D:D:D

np3

Both!! I think it is a personal preference. Depends on the look you want. Sometimes you want to accent the blocks and sometimes you want them to stand on their own.

featherweight

It is however you want to do it. It is your quilt. I do it all the above ways, In the ditch, Next to the ditch and use decrative stitches on the ditch.

Lori S

One of the reasons to stitch in the ditch is to create texture , but not visable stitches. So I go right into the seam with invisable thread. Echo quilting is right next to the shape you want to give texture , and it truley outlines the shape you want to give empahsis, and is typically about 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the edge ,and continues out in rows. Echo quilting is a great way to draw attention to the quilting. A stitch in the ditch is give texture without visually distubing/interupting the quilt top design. Some may use a decorative , this utilizes the seam as the quideline for the stitching.
SOme believe that stiching in the ditch , right in the seam, may cause a break in the seam thread. I have done many many quilts stitiching in the seam and have never had any issues.

glenda5253

I'm confused too. Always thought it was in the seam but now I've read a few sources that says a quarter inch from the seam. :?:

littlehud

I get as close to the seam as possible.

sgardner

Lori gave you the best answer. I agree that it depends on which look you want. Next to the seam by 1/4 an inch is an "echo" effect, not SID. The ditch is the seam itself. Now, some have reasoned that the stitching slightly beside the actually ditch adds stability to the project, because you catch the seam material that is laid to the side beneath the seam. I have found that when I do that, it ends up distorting the preciseness of my quilt- if I had perfect squares, they can end up looking less than perfect if I SID slightly off-seam. It's a matter of preference- I've always preferred hiding my SID as much as possible- invisible thread and exactly in the ditch. If I was going to go outside the seam, then I would do the echo effect of going an even distance from all seams to create the look I want.