Silver Needle

I have gone to pressing most all seams open. I get better matching results that way. I press the seam just l little with one of those wooden hand press tools. Then DH made me a pressing board out of 2 halves of quarter round glued together and sanded well. He made them in several different lengths. (A QB hint) With the seam centered over pressing board I use a travel iron to finish pressing the seams open.

Pds

When I first started quilting I followed the directions to the "T"---press them to one side, and then as a garment creator first, I realized that I pressed all seams open, and they never came apart---not even in the back of pants---so I started pressing open. The block was flatter, I was able to match seams up better, and now that I am also a longarm quilter, it was so much easier to quilt over pressed flat seams than over those humps. In the end though, I suppose it is what works best for you---for me, I press open.

KwiltyKahy

Exactly, so often there is more than one way to get the job done. So do what works for you and enjoy.

jeaninmaine

I was taught to press them open, and they always lay flatter when I do them that way. I do tend to press to one side if I'm strip piecing or doing bargello type things. The 2nd quilt I was taught to do was a Lone Star and all the seams were done open. The center was beautifully flat. So I guess my answer would be that if I'm using Jelly Rolls, I press to one side and if I'm piecing something where I don't want too much bulk, I iron them open.

Neesie

Now I have this vision of quilt "guts" bulging through seams! Okay, maybe I need more caffeine(?). Anyway, would it help, to take smaller stitches?

MimiBug123

I've heard that people were taught to press their seams to the side back when they were hand sewing and the threads used weren't as strong as we have today. They said that the folded over seam was stronger and had less stress on it. Since we almost always piece by machine (I do, anyway) it doesn't really matter which way we press. The quilting we use also adds extra strength and there is very little stress on the actual seam. I say, do it whichever way you feel more comfortable with.

quiltstringz

If you are getting something coming up through your seams when pressed open you are probably using too big of a stitch. Nor sure what you are piecing on but I noticed that a lot of the newer machines are coming up with a bigger default stitch length than they previously had. My Bernina comes up with a 2.5 but I always move it down to a 2 - I am not sure what that translates into on other machines

KyKaren1949

I've been reading more and more that it's not necessary to always press to the dark side. Many of the well-known quilters are pressing seams open. It's hard for me to change old habits, but I no longer feel guilty when I need to press them open.

marla

I don't know about others but I Love it when the pattern gives you arrows indicating the direction of pressing seams.

Jill

I've been sewing for many, many years and when I started quilting 10 years ago it seemed so strange to press seams to one side. And as for the statement that it made the seams stronger, I'd think back to all the garments and home accessories I had sewn and thought that very few of them came loose. The only word of advice I'd give is to make sure you shorten your stitch. I pressed seams open on a quilt I made about five years ago and then put it aside for quite a while before finishing it. When I finially got around to finishing it, I found the seams had come loose on the ends and almost every block had to be restitched at the ends.