Long arm Quilters?
 

Have you tried Stitching in the Ditch on a quilt where seams were pressed open? If so did the quilting cut the thread in the seams causing the seam thread to break and the quilt to come apart. Or is this not a problem.

I don't have a long arm but that doesn't sound like it should be done. Stitch to either side of the seam or try something else. :)

I can't say that I've ever seen it happen, partly because I don't press my seams open, and if I did I would not stitch over them. It seems very logical that if the needle hit directly on one of the threads holding the seam together, that thread would be broken. Except for that possibility, the cutting of the threads might not be an immediate thing, but the result of wear over time, assuming that it does occur. What is clear to me is that if you stitch directly over a seam that was pressed open, you are not stitching through any of the fabric in the top, so that means that the stitches are not holding the top together as well as if the stitches went through the fabric.

Why are you asking specifically about long arm quilters? If you quilt on a domestic sewing machine, the same issue applies. If the seam is pressed to the side, and you SITD, you really stitch right next to the seam. If the seam is pressed open, you could do the same thing, don't stitch right on the seam, sew on one side or the other.

Aren't you supposed to press the seams to one side or the other - like 'press to the dark'? If you do that, then this wouldn't be a problem.

Do you by any chance have Judi Madson's (Green Fairy) book "Quilting Wide Open Spaces" I think she addresses this very issue. Unfortunately, I don't have the book handy to paraphrase for you. There are two schools of thought on the issue. Leah Day (who quilts on a DSM) is an advocate for open seams. Here is a link to a blog posting of it

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ing-seams.html

I don't necessarily agree with Leah. I think I am in Green Fairy's camp of do not press your seams open.

I am assuming you posted this question because you have a client quilt and they want SITD and they pressed the seams open. If the client did this and wants SITD then give them what they want.

I don't think I would stitch in the ditch if the seams were open. You would just be stitching over the thread. When the seams are pressed to one side, it is easier for a longarmer to stay in the ditch by quilting on the side without the seams. Or anyway, it is for me.

I would not SITD on seams that are pressed open, stay to the right or left of the ditch.

I would recommend stitching to one side or the other and not just over the thread of the opened seams. However, I do agree with Feline Fanatic - if it is a customer's quilt and that is what they want, do what the customer wants. If so, you might want to mention to them that there is a good possibility that stitching over the thread of the opened seams may weaken the quilt top.