Pressing quilt seams
 

I'm just curious if most people press their seams open or to one side. I have always pressed mine open but recently noticed in some quilt books that they mentioned pressing to the side. I'm just starting a string quilt and sewing strips to a block cut from an old sheet. I'm afraid pressing to one side may make seams too bulky but then again, it may make the quilt last longer. Any thoughts you have on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

I press to one side - it is easier to nest the seams and match.

I press open... I like my blocks to be as flat as possible.... plus there is no figuring out which way to press as to avoid a double seam allowance in one direction. Pressing to the dark does not always ensure that you will not have an "intersection pile-up".

Most of the time I press to one side. When you sew the seams together, if one piece is pressed one way and the other piece is pressed the other way, the seams nest and lock together, and the bulk is no more than it would have been if you'd pressed it open. Also, for people who stitch in the ditch a lot, it's better to press seams to one side, so the quilting has something to hold on to.

However, there are times when it's better to press open. It just depends on the quilt design.

I have done it both ways. It is up to you what ever works best.

It depends on how intricate the block is and whether the seam would cause a natural bump if left as is. If there would be a problem with bulk in the center of say a intricate pinwheel type block, I press them open. Some blocks cause a problem because they would bulge naturally after the finished block is done. We don't want a tent now do we? LOL... Yes double battings help but, why not do the extra step?

Also consider the fabrics you are using. If you are using a tight woven fabric, such as batiks, getting a needle though all that bulk to quilt it will be very tough and can break needles while machine quilting it. Which by the way can throw the timing off on your sewing machine. Or heaven forbid having to hand quilt though all that. So yes an open pressing is best for intricate designs or bulky materials.

I mostly press to the side as well, but the occasional quilt does call for open pressing, so it lays nice and flat (tesselating quilts look much better pressed flat). I considered pressing open seams on the quilt I'm working on now, but its a forest design and the flat just didn't look nice. I needed the texture of the seams pressed to the side. I also agree, that if you're planning on stitching in the ditch, it would be structurally better to press to the side.

This is my practice as well for the very same reasons.

I mostly press to one side, much easier to match intersections. I will put rows up to the one it is to be sewn to and pin the seam allowance in the direction it should go. I press and pin together.