scrappingfaye58

as others have said, there is no one right or wrong way. In a lot of instances, the pattern designer will tell you what they think works best. Most times, it is dependent upon what seams are going to meet where. If there are a lot of seams, and no instructions, I will often press open. If I am sewing something like a 9 patch, or joining rows of blocks, then I do the one row one direction, the next the opposite so they "nest".

Dina

I press to the dark fabric, but that is mainly because I do a lot of SITD. If I pressed the seams open, I would mainly be sewing thread and not fabric.

Dina

Dolphyngyrl

What the pattern directions say, sometimes you can't do either. I prefer locking seams. But some patterns require open some fabric choices you can't always pees to dark side as sometimes you have to press to light side. I don't have a preference I just do what will work for that pattern

Boston1954

As much as possible, I press to one side. Sometimes they do not obey, but I do my best.

platyhiker

When I took a quilting class in the early 90s, I was taught to press to one side. I did quite a bit of clothing sewing before I took up quilting, so I was kinda shocked when I learned that it was "standard" to press seams to one side for quilts. (I had been taught to always press seams open when sewing for clothing.) Being a contrary (and empirical) person, for my first sampler quilt I did some blocks with seams pressed open and some blocks with seams pressed to one side. Stitching in the ditch is definitely easier for me with the seams pressed open, and I like how everything lies very flat. However, I don't like how with my white muslin background, I can see where the seam fabric is underneath. Since then, I "press to the dark side" when very light fabrics are involved. Pressing to the dark side, when a piece is surrounded by lighter pieces, can result in the dark piece appearing to be a bit raised, which can be either a plus or a minus, depending on one's tastes. In my sampler quilt, I had a bunch of half square triangles (for a basket shape) and I pressed to the dark side. The dark triangles are a bit more prominent, and I like the effect. (I also think it would have looked nice if I had pressed the seams open.)

When I recently returned to quilting, I did a bit of on-line research on what various people did and why. I found Leah Day's reasons for pressing seams open very persuasive, particularly the argument that you can get increased precision with seam joins. For the Lone Star quilt I an currently working on, I am pressing seams open and am really happy with how flat the seams are and how I can really see how well the points of all the diamonds are meeting spot on.

Net result - I now press most seams open, except when very light fabrics are involved.

EasyPeezy

When I first started quilting I pressed everything open. Now I press
mostly to the dark so the seams nest. Sometimes I wish I had stuck
with pressing everything open. Some habits are hard to break.
Right now I'm making a quilt and alternating the pressing. One block
will have all the seams pressed outside and the other one pressed
inside so that they all nest. If I followed the directions of the pattern
it would not nest. I also clip when I think it needs. Do what makes
you happy. No quilt police.

ekuw

I usually press open, because of the less bulk factor. Since I do my own quilting on a DSM it makes a difference. There are some blocks that lend themselves to pressing toward the darker fabric and sometimes I do that too.

tallchick

I press open now and feel that my piecing is more accurate and less frustrating. I dislike the bulk, and figuring out a pressing plan. When I press open my quilt lies flatter and I spend less time pressing the top when it’s all put together. Less bulk makes quilting easier on my long arm too, and I will say ripping any blocks is easier when the seams are pressed open.

selm

There is no ditch when the seams are pressed open. You are only stitching in an open space and across the threads in the seam. I like pressing the seams to the side as I feel it makes for a stronger seam and there are so many in a quilt.

joe'smom

Pressing to the side originated because seams were hand sewn with a running stitch, and pressing to the side covered the seam so batting would not come through the gaps in the seam. You should never press a hand-sewn seam open for this reason.

The other instance you should never press a seam open is if you plan to stitch in the ditch. The ditch is created by pressing the seam to the side, resulting in one side of the seam being higher than the other; you then sew very close to the seam line on the lower side (in the ditch). If you press open, there is no ditch to stitch in, you'd be sewing on nothing but your stitches, which could weaken them and would do nothing to secure the fabric of the quilt top to the other two layers.

I generally prefer pressing to the side because I find it much easier to match seams that nest. However, it really depends on the design of the quilt. If I'm making a modern quilt that specifies pressing seams open, that's what I do. If I'm making a quilt and it makes more sense to press open, which it occasionally does, that's what I do.

The other reason I prefer pressing to the side is that, imo, it makes for a much neater-looking back.