I have always sewn as close to the actual seam as possible and always thought that was one of the reasons, pressing to the side was important....it kind of gives a natural ridge.......

When I first encountered SID I thought they meant right on the seam too, but now I sew just a tad to the left. "Tad" is a sewing term just like a "scant" 1/4 inch. When I read the definition of "scant" I thought they had to be kidding. One thread off a 1/4 inch? Please don't give up on FMQ, you will find that you will love it after doing it for awhile. I, too, was disappointed in my first attempts; but kept on practicing and now I love it. You can do amazing things in the negative space with FMQ and for the open areas on a block you can make amazing contributions to set off the block.

I think stitch in the ditch comes from hand quilting. It is easier to quilt on the side with the lesser bulk. Now with machine quilting it does not matter because the machine has enough power to go through the bulk. I do not stitch in the seam because I feel it is less strong there. I stich next to the seam, but you can do what you want, that is the beauty of making quilt, you can do it your way. There are no rules, just guidelines, feel free to bend break or follow them as you wish.

I must have that stitch on my machine but I'm not sure which it is. I remember previous conversations about it. What does it look like on your machine?

I'm having a lot of tension problems but I need to take my new machine in to see if the tension adjustment even works on it. I think it will be fun too -- if I stick with it!

Funny that is what my pin tuck or cording foot looks like on the bernina. The grooves keep you in line or handle the cording to stitch down.

I think that form should follow function in my own opinion. Why not stitch on the side with the seams? Other than the fact that there is a lot more fabric to deal with, it would almost encase the raw edges, tack down the bulk and also give a security seam to keep the quilt in tack if there was a popped piecing seam.

But, it is so true that it is the maker's choice what she does with her quilt. I love creative choice.

My cording foot looks totally different. I don't know why my pictures are so huge. I saved it at 640 in Windows Gallery. I think I'll reinstall my HP photo software.
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This is the way I was taught.

I'm with you, although I've been told that stitching in the "ditch" means slightly off to one side or the other of the seam line. I'm not to picky about it as sometimes I do a little of both, but it gets the job done - personal preference.

Good topic for discussion! I will stitch on the seam or nearly so if my intention is to make the stitching disappear. Lately that has seemed less important, so I try to keep a constant distance from the seam, and will often stitch on both high and low sides to keep that distance when stitching inside or outside of a design element. I've found a zipper foot can work nicely for this, providing better visibility, and haven't had any wrinkle problems as long as the quilt is well pinned or basted.

It does.. that was the only way my Grandmother let anyone quilt her quilts.. I do it often..

I avoid stitch in the ditch. My attempts always look messy to me and so I do free motion which doesn't cause me as much angst. Interesting that there is varied opinion as to what stitch in the ditch is.

Yes. Perhaps this is what the Craftsy definition was aiming for. I learned that the bulky side of the seam could throw your foot off, making you veer out of the ditch. Unfortunately since seams are pressed in opposite directions, at some point I always hit the bulk. Maybe I'm just a bad driver!

I just watched a tutorial (Zig Zag table runner by Jenny Doan MSQC) and according to the tute, stitch in the ditch means on the seam. I guess it is a personal preference.

If you have a cabin or cottage, or just a nice cozy home, this precut would be absolutely perfect for a table runner. Jenny’s got several table runner tutorials, click here for a cute and super easy one.

I think of SITD as what the goal is, sewing so that the stitching ends up hidden, so aim at whatever part accomplishes that for the individual sewer?

what Lynnie said

A few years ago, I read that STD is different for hand or machine quilting. That article said that STD for hand quilting is about 1/4" away from the seam and for machine quilting right in the seam.

I am a true ditch -in the ditch - quilter. Took that term at face value!

And did you notice that sometimes she veered off the ditch? She comments about that and her table runner looks beautiful.

But is that the true goal? The goal of any quilting, first and foremost, is to join the three layers of the quilt -- that is, to have the thread go through all three layers. If you stitch right through the piecing seams, you're not going through all three layers of fabric. You're securing the bottom two layers together, but the top layer is just being tacked to the bottom two through the seam threads. You haven't actually stitched through your quilt top fabrics.

I don't intend any offense by saying this. It's just that we all want our quilts to last. The practice of machine stitching through piecing seams in quilting can break your piecing stitches, making them weaker, and it results in the quilt top fabrics not being secured to the bottom two layers. That's why I don't think this is a true example of an area of personal preference or opinion in quilting, but of misinformation being passed along through the years.

I know it has helped me I have always thought that it meant within the seams of the block but I do tend to want my stitches hidden. But have been going beside the stitch line.

Mine looks messy too - close up. Stand 6-feet away and look at it, and it looks great!!

***
*** I was taught in Home Ec class to Stitch-in-the-ditch
*** was in the crack -or- on the seam line.
***

I, too was taught to SID on seam line, but after trying too many times to acheive I had that AHA! moment.
If I can use seam Line? to stitch, why not go beside it. Not only did it become easier to quilt, but I am NOT just stitching over thread....

Does that make snse? I have changed many a students thought process but explaining this. I teach now to zig-zag (for those without fancy machines) or use a stippling, serpentine or feather stitch over the whole seam of piecing.
This then holds both sides of the seam to the batting and backing. Don't know how the ID part of SID came to be, but I actually think it looks better if you can see the quilting. IMHO.

This is funny. I quilted one quilt at about 1/8" from the seam line instead of in the seam because of the design of the seaming on that particular quilt. The quilt show judge wrote on my critique, "Get your stitch-in-the-ditch quilting into the ditch." Obviously my design ideas were not appreciated.

I was taught to use the actual seam as the guide and the stitching is then a very little way beside the actual seam so that it was like top stitching. The person who taught me used any sewing foot that could keep you an equal distance from the real seam (zipper foot, 1/4" foot, etc). Guess that would not be SITD if you are sewing beside the seam.

[QUOTE=PaperPrincess;7143337]That's how I learned to do it, on the low (ditch) side of the seam, as close to the seam as you can get, but not right on it.[/Q Same here.

To all those who are saying that SITD (I mean in the actual ditch, as was intended) made their quilt less strong: Have any of you had experience with that type of quilting giving out. I would think that with the thread hidden, it would last longer. I have seen top stitching worn away.

Ditto for me too.

I think that whatever we choose to do, this is our quilt we're making. I'm sure not going to make a quilt I intend to use to please a judge of a quilt show. I make the quilt to suit myself, and it may not be "right" as is sometimes taught, but it will be "right" for me, because I will be happy with the fact that I have the option to choose and to heck with anything else! Sorry, I don't mean to be hateful! I've gotten a little rebellious in my old age. When I was younger, in my working life, I have, on occasion been treated like a proverbial doormat. Well, I've learned that I don't have to tolerate that attitude. I'm not a doormat and no one is going to walk all over me!

Jeanette