i can totally relate to every comment. and, like strawberry, i dream of the day my tops will look as good from the back as they do the front. (in the meantime, i'm VERY grateful for batting and backing fabric! :lol: )
i prefer seams pressed open. i was horrified when i switched from sewing clothing to making quilts and heard about the whole press-to-the-side thing. :shock:
the only reason i press to the side most of the time is ... well ... just plain laziness. also get tired of fryin' my fingertips with the iron.
what i'm slowly figuring out is that sometimes open works best; sometimes to the side. each has pros and cons. i've noticed it's easier to get good results with triangles and anything else that creates points if i press open. squares come together more neatly if pressed to the side in opposite directions. the seams look and feel more durable, too. but ... i suwear!!! ... i always wind up with things pressed in the wrong direction almost half the time, no matter how carefully i plan and proceed. sometimes i reverse sew and realign them. sometimes i twist them. sometimes i sew them as-is. sometimes i do a kathy and clip the suckers.
as far as which makes it easier to match seams and intersections ... i have just as hard a time either way. :cry: that's why i buy straight pins and basting needles by the ton. :lol: :lol: :lol: