Ashley, that is pretty much the way I start mine too, except I 'swirl' the seams where they meet. Of course I am not crazy enough to be working with .75 inch finished squares. LOL
As for pressing seams open, I quilt A LOT of donation tops for my guild and really do not like needing to take the time to repair a popped seam because the batting is showing thru. If the seams are pressed to the side, that 1/4 inch will keep the batting where it should be. Just MHO on the subject.