Setting a seam or melding is one of those seemingly tedious things sewers do but it does have a purpose. Ages ago when teaching garment sewing it was explained to every seamstress as multi purpose.
1. The stitching you do has height over the two pieces of fabric that are sewn together due to the fact the thread is round and sitting on top of the fabric. By pressing BEFORE you press open or to a side it allows the bulk to be presed flat giving you a cleaner sharper place for the seam to fold. You will not achieve the same clean fold by consolidating the two steps. The smaller the piecing, the tighter the corners the more critical this step is in garments and in quilts.
2. Any micro gathers from the feed dogs can also be pressed smooth giving you an accurate finished surface for further work or piecing.
3. It makes pressing to one side or open easier to accomplish once the excess bulk is smoothed out allowing for a better flat pressing technique.
4. It refreshes the starching giving you a easier to work with product.
5. your seams will be sharper allowing for better accuracy in matching seams for joining pieces. An error up to 1/16 perpetuated in each block in a crib quilt will completely screw with your final work tring to get everything to line up.
as a clothing judge it was always obvious which did and didnt meld their seams. I am guessing it would be the same for quilts.
Last edited by Trippgal; 01-12-2014 at 03:14 PM.