There are so many smart quilters on here, I sometimes hesitate to reply. But, pressing seams is an interesting thing to me. When I started quilting, the rule of thumb was to press to the dark, but sometimes a certain type block, the seams had to be pressed open. I am now working on a quilt (a project that several friends are working on) called First Blush. The instructions recommends that ALL seams be pressed open and at the center where the blocks meet, it is recommended that you trim the seams down to about 1/16th for about an inch or inch and a half so there won't be a big bulge in the center of the quilt. It also recommends Starch, everything should be starched. So far, it is working ok, but it is tedious. There is still some fullness in the middle where the small end of the strips meet. I have finished 13 blocks of 24. I have been using a stitch length of 1.8 on my machine. I have to admit, I'll be glad when this one is finished, plus the fabrics are not my favorite colors. I need to learn to say "no" when my friends say "Oh, come on - it'll be fun. You gotta make this with us." Oh, I found out one thing that's kind of interesting....when I start to press a seam on the wider edge, I hold the fabric up somewhat on the other end as I move my iron up the seam and the seam opens up easier as I go than trying to do it with my finger. This has been a challenge and I've learned a lot - I think my next project will be something a little easier......lol