SooBDo

I've seen experienced quilters press from both the front or back of their projects as they go along. There are advantages and disadvantages to both:

From the back: Advantage: Your seams lie flat. Disadvantage: Sometimes your seams are not pressed totally open.

From the front: Advantage: Your seam is completely open: Disadvantage: You can stretch your material by opening the seam with the iron.

Which do you do - either one or the other? Both? Combine finger pressing with either technique?

Just curious!

ManiacQuilter2

I do both. You want your seams to be going in the right directions and then I do my final pressing from the front. I don't press my seams open unless absolutely necessary.

janRN

I'm totally anal about my seams being flat. Like MQ2, I press from the back then the front. I don't use water in my iron but have a spray bottle that I sometimes use for spritzing. I do press seams open occasionally when a lot of seams come together.

Onebyone

I set my seam on the back then open to front to press for each block piece. I seldom press the block when it's finished. If a block doesn't finished at the exact size I stop and figure out why and redo.

joe'smom

First I set my seam; it depends on the pattern and my quilting plans, whether I press open or to the side. If I'm pressing open, I do it from the back, opening the seam with my finger, then press again on the front with Best Press. If I'm pressing to the side, I do it from the front. If a pressed-to-the-side seam isn't lying flat, I'll press it on the back, too.

NJ Quilter

I set seams on the back; press my seams open from the back; then press the entire block/section from the front.

crafty-kid

I do the exact same here!

quiltsRfun

That's what I do.

Boston1954

I have done both, but there have been times when I have done one or the other. It depends on if I feel that it needs it.

AliKat

After setting the seam I drape the seam over a sleeve ham and press from the top. The weight of the fabric insure a crisp pressing.