I almost always press seams open.

Horizontal or diagonal seams on your backing REALLY helps on a long-arm as a vertical seam builds up on the rollers creating an uneven roll that leaves the sides floppy and creates a tight lump that has to be quilted over on each pass - lots of needle deflection.

I press my seams to the dark unless there will be more than 4 pieces of material at the junction, then I will press open to eliminate the bulk (needle deflection when quilting really messes up the quilting). Like pinwheels...the HSTs will be pressed to the dark, all other seams will be pressed open.

Mostly how you press your seams is personal preference for you and for your quilter! :thumbup:

I press all seams open EXCEPT the sashing. I find I'm more likely to have pleats if I press to one side. I like to press to the inside of sashing and borders to kinda give it a raised look.

Depends on my pattern. I normally go to the dark but if I know there is going to be some bulk in the seams I will do them open. just depends on the project for me

I have another question(it may have already been asked). I always sid to anchor the sandwich before fmq. Can I still stitch along the seams without a ditch? That is if I press seams open. Would it make a difference in the final appearance of the quilt :|

I listen to the fabric...it will tellyou where it wants to go

I press open, mostly because I don't use printed patterns and trying to figure out which way I need to press when joining blocks is too time consuming for me. Also, my machine doesn't like those bulky seams... FMQ goes much better and I don't have a problem stitching 1/4 away from seams with my walking foot because the blocks are flat. I am convinced that pressing seams to one side results in many UFO's and is unnecessary in this day and age with short machine stitches. Yes, it takes more time to match seams, but once you have your personal method down it becomes routine. I have tried many times, usually on quilts for charity and simple ones, to use the press to one side method and I have always been unhappy with the result. IMHO it's a fast but unsatisfactory method.

After Lori S. explaining her method (page 1) and experience with never having a seam fail, I'm going to have to give it a try with my next quilt. Thanks for explaining.

I am a new quilter, and I am on my second quilt top. I have tried to press to the dark side and then they end up going every which way, I don't know what the heck I'm doing.

Next time, I am going to press them open except for the sashing and borders.

I read that post as well, and although I generally press to the dark, sometimes the seams do have a mind of their own and I go with the direction they want to. One thing I did get out of that post was to starch, which I had not been doing - so mid quilt, I started to starch as i ironed the rows I was joining, and I'm so happy I did, the fabric definatly has a better hand. Now I am looking forward to seeing the difference through the rest of the process. Thanks to everyone that posts on this Quilting Board! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: