Dearest Pals and Buddies of Mine ...
Love ya both to pieces, but disagree enough to say it here. :?
If you hope a quilt will be passed down as an heirloom then strength of everything matters quite a bit. ever try to repair a 40 year old quilt that wasn't stitched together well in the first place? lots of not fun.
i almost never press open becaue i want as few seam allowances to show as possible. if bumps in the road present a significant problem when ditch stitching, i sometimes use a zipper foot so i can get reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel close without having to go over the bump. i'll switch feet right in the middle of a line of stitching if i have to. but that's just me. i'll bet 1,000 people will read this and think i need to be locked up for it. LOL
Each quilter should feel free to use the method she or he feels achieves the best balance between appearance, ease to quilt, and long-term durability. it's in the constitution, i think. somewhere in the fine print of the 1st Ammendment. :wink: