HI, I am in love with Jo Morton's cabin corners quilt pattern. It uses 5" squares of either log cabin or courthouse steps. There is a lot of sewing, pressing and squaring up as you go around the block.

Recently two shop owners have told me that they do not press as they sew. The reason each has stated is that it is wasting time and that you avoid stretching your fabric out of shape. They find their blocks come out more accurate.

I have just begun to do and find that I complete blocks faster and I am closer to my desired block size when finished. Each owner told me that you simply lay the seam which way it should go and sew it in place.

What do you do?

Press and sew

OR

sew and sew?

sew and sew!
but i do have a little table to the side of me, that i can press on if i need to.

Thank you... you make 3 now that have used this method.

It will save me sew much time!

Each owner told me that you simply lay the seam which way it should go and sew it in place.


I just had a light bulb moment!

Rita

i do both, sometimes sew and sew/ sometimes press seams...just depends. i have found when making logcabins it is better to not; press every time; i do have a (wooden) pressing tool which i will use often when i need a little more than just my fingers but don't need to get up to the big iron, it works great. but often finger pressing is enough during construction then the block gets a good press when it's done

There is a difference in 'ironing' and 'pressing'. If you 'iron', you will stretch your fabric out of shape. You need to just press....lift.....press.....lift. The back and forth motion of 'ironing' is what messes up your shape.
Carol B

I am much happier with my work since I have started pressing my seams as I piece and as I assemble the quilt.

SewExtreme, a question for you please. Were the shop owners saying they don't press on any of the quilt patterns or they don't press on a specific pattern or patterns?
Ckcowl, you mention you have found it is better not to press on the log cabins.
I think this is an interesting point that might explain frustration with one pattern versus another pattern. /Regards, Dorothy

It depends on the quilt pattern. I recently did a French Braid and I pressed each piece after sewing (the instructions in the book told me I must press!). Much of the time I don't because it makes it very difficult to make corrections if seams have been pressed with a hot iron. So, usually, I just finger press or use the little wooden pressing tool until I'm sure everything fits together exactly right. The downside to that is the monster pressing job I have when I'm finished the quilt so I need to train myself to press the quilt top in sections before I get them all sewn together.

I guess I'm lazy, because I don't press when I sew a block together normally. Really depends on what I'm doing. Now I do press to one side before I put my rows together so seams match up easier.

I always have pressed as I sew, but maybe I will try sew & sew on something small I am making for myself. I do have a small table top ironing board and use my travel iron on my seams, so I do not have to get up to use my big ironing board. Interesting.