I'm glad I read this post. It's an issue I've often wondered about myself. I'm especially glad to read that pressing seams to one side comes from hand piecing days. I've been faithfully pressing to one side, but on the D9P that I'm doing right now, I don't see how it will help, and kind of wish I had pressed all the seams open! Oh well. Next quilt I'll do what seems best for the pattern!