There are several types of finger protectors to keep your pinkies from being scorched. Fons and Porter sell some, I think.

If I want to stitch in the ditch then the seams are stitched to one side. If free motion quilting, then open seams. I do both domestic machine quilting and LAQ. Bulk at intersections is a consideration. Also, if a particular seam is the edge of a design, to one side adds a little emphasis to the advancing side. If that seam isn't important to the design, it can have less attention if pressed open. Whenever piecing fabrics together to make that piece large enough, ie, piecing borders that are long enough, press seams open. Paper piecing requires the seas are pressed in the direction coresponding to the order of piecing. One of the advantages to Ruth McDowel's paper piecing methods is you can choose which way the seams are pressed.

I (almost) always press to the dark. I like being able to nest the seams when piecing. But, like everything else in our art, each quilter has his/her own preferred method of doing things.

As for the long-armer's broken needle problem- the only time I've broken a needle because of fabric is when I hit the umpty-ump layers of seam allowance at the center of a paper pieced star. Otherwise, I dont' think I've ever broken a needle on my quilting machine (Knock on wood!!!)

The half round, (or two quarter rounds glued together), used for opening seams is called a Strip Stick. They are available on line. You can make your own easily. Pad or not, cover or not. A long one is 44 inches long, for WOF strips. And there is a shorter one.

I found an easy way to open seams is to press it one way and then press it the other way. That way both seam allowances have been pressed aside and open easier.

I don't press seams open unless it is the center of a star where many seams come together.

I was taught that stitch in the ditch was done as close to the seam as you can get without catching the fabric from the other piece. When finished correctly, you can't see it unless you pull the two pieces apart and look carefully.

Ditto to this. I'm just glad the quilt police never comes to my house. Whenever I see them coming, I run & lock the door. LOL

Hello, I'm new here and have been reading. I have a question. What is "FMQ" and "LAQ" AND "SID" mean? Thank you for your help.

Free motion quilting, long arm quilting or quilter and stitch in the ditch
I think there may be a thread with more of these explained.

I am in the process of doing a quilt and am pressing the seams open.....I agree....what a difference!!!!