I'm going to be handpiecing AND hand quilting. Should I press my seams all to one side or can I press them open to make less bulk when I hand quilt? HELP

I hand quilt but don't hand piece. The seams pressed to one side doesn't seem to bother me when I hand quilt though. In my opinion, it seems that if your hand stitches are tiny then it probably won't matter if you press them open or closed unless the seam allowance will show through your quilt top.

Welcome to the board!

I don't handpiece either nut I just started quilting last year. This board is a wonderful place!

Hello and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! Glad you joined us :lol:

Sorry cannot help with the hand sewing/quilting questions, but there are many here that can/will help you :thumbup:

welcome from Oklahoma

Hello teddysmom. That's really up to you. Since I usually go for high contrast, I press to the side of the darker fabric so it won't show through. If that isn't an issue with your fabric choices it's just fine to press open and make the quilting part easier to needle through.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!

Welcome from Ireland. For hand quilting I press to the darker side. If you do decide to press your seams open do not quilt in the ditch or you will weaken the stitching already there.

I dont really know the answer, but wanted to say WELCOME!

Welcome from MN. I don't recall ever seeing any vintage quilt tops with the seams pressed open... I would press to the darker side.

I started hand quilting in 1983. I was taught to press the seams open. You can do it either way.

Welcome from Louisian! Hand piecing and hand quilting....my hat is off to you!

welcome to the board. I press to the darker side too. I hand piece and think it is stronger to press one way.

When I began quilting, I was taught that seams would be stronger if they were pressed to one side. Be sure they are in opposite directions at seam lines and don't overlap - too bulky. Hope this helps.

I press to the darker side and when you hand quilt as in stitch in the ditch then it will be easier to quilt as the thickness will be less. It is hard to quilt when you have to go thru all the seams.

Thanks. Quilt shop people look at me in horror and tell me I can't to that! Will definitely try it on my next quilt. Am finishing up 1st one--sisterhood of quilters girlfriends quilt.

Good Morning Teddysmom -

I started out in quilting with hand piecing a looong time ago - and you should press seams to the side for hand piecing. I personally would not press hand-stitched seams open. A good place to start is watching Jinny Beyer hand piece - she is really, really fast (I am not) but looking at the size of her stitches is worth the effort.

I don't hand quilt much at all but when you do the quilting you will be avoiding the seam allowances other than when you cross corners, etc. Can't wait to see a few pictures.

Sandy in Mooresville, NC

When hand piecing pressing the seams to one side makes you quilt more stable. Hand stitches are not as strong as locked machine stitching. Pressing to one side puts less stress on the stitches. As most old quilts were done this way and then hand quilted the seams should not be a problem to quilt.

welcome from texas and good luck - we will looking forward to seeing your results

I forgot to mention my first quilt is also all hand pieced queen size sampler and it is holding up just fine, 23 years later. If you quilt all your blocks in a 1/4. that stablizes the seams too. You should be fine.

I press to the dark side....welcome from Florida!!

Ditter

If you do 1/4 inch seams and have to cross them, you can stab stitch through that area and maintain the length of stitch that you desire. I am doing one of those embroideried squares stitched together for another person and the woman left the 1/2 inch allowance after stitching them together and pressed them to one side, so on some corners, I have 4 layers to go through and the only way there is to do one stitch at a time, poking down through and then stabbing back up to the top.

I do hand piecing and quilting and I press to the darker side.

Hi Ditter 43 ! I saw an listing for quilt guild meeting on 4th Wed of every month for workshop in your area. I know that u said u weren't interested in a guild but thought u may want to know that it's at 9870 W Fork Island trail (St Ann Episcopal Church). Hope all is well with you. Quilting lately? I haven't yet but will soon as i've inherited some lands in Ga & have been shopping for a mobile home to put on it for weekend getaway, family reunion, etc. Found one & gotta git busy on land clearing, septic tank, etc. now..when all is done, then quilting will take up. Gotta fill that trailer up with curtains, table runner, quilt...RIGHT?

I agree press hand pieced to the side, did a queen sized double wedding ring that way and hand quilted it without much of a problem. Stabbing is about the only way when you get multiple layers of seams. I don't know what others have done, but I had to have a nice pair of pliers handy to pull up through the multiple layers at times.

Welcome from Arizona!!

Hi Sandy, just went to a quilting class. Instructor told me to quilting in "the shadow"--1/4" from seam. That way I'll have no bulky seam allowances to quilt through.

By the way, we're really from Stanley. We're full time RVers doing volunteer mission work so we're only there a couple times of the year--will be there next weekend for granddaughter's college graduation & our 50th anniv. then will be there during Nov & Dec for the holidays.

Sara from Stanley NC

When hand piecing, you do not sew from edge to edge. You sew from intersection to intersection. This enables you to press the seams in any direction that will eliminate any bulk. I do press seams to one side or the other, not open. This way protects the thread so it will not wear out. Congrats on hand piecing and hand quilting. Hope you find it as relaxing as I do.
Donna from Texas

From what I have learned on the board, it is mostly personal preference if you or your machine can handle the thickness of ironing them in one direction. I prefer to iron them open. I like the look of the "nesting" and I like the flatter seams. But, I am relatively new so some more experienced quilters may have better reasons to iron them one direction.

I don't piece by hand and was going to suggest you do 2 samples to see which method you like the best. Then I read your other responses from people who do hand piece and I see that pressing to one side is better. I machine piece and prefer to press seams to the darker side, rather than press them open.

As a young girl I remember my mom and grandmother always hand pieced their quilts. They always pressed to one side. This made the quilt stronger. If the seam is pressed open on hand piecing your stitches are not as strong and will come apart after time.

Hi and welcome from the sunny state of Florida!!

Jinny Beyer has a great book on hand piecing a quilt. It has a lot of helpful information especially for a beginner. I really learned a lot from reading it. I also got her 'Perfect Piecer.' It is a template that you can hold in your hand to mark the perfect 1/4 " seam on any piece you are sewing, as it has all the angles represented. I highly recommend getting it! I hope this helps. Janis