Oh wise, ladies and gents ... do tell ...

Do you set your seams? or not?
(before you press them open, or to the sides)

What purpose does it serve?
If you do it some of the time ... what situations are the times?

What is the return on your time investment in doing such?


I'm looking forward to the discussion on this as I am totally between and betwixt, and need some input as to the why-to!!

I do if I remember.. I cant answer your question. as to the purpose.
I just do it because I have seen them do it that way on Fons and Porter..

I always set them. I was taught that way and it seems to lay nice and flat when I do. I can tell a difference in the final press. So it works for me.

Nancy told me to, so I tried it and liked the outcome. Just habit now.

Sometimes. Not a big priority with me. I haven't had any real boo boo's yet because of not doing it.

Try pressing some seams "with" and "without" setting them first.

See if there if a difference.

I've never actually done that - maybe I'll go down and try it! :roll: :oops:

I usually do - it only takes a few moments longer - I'm not into production sewing - but I think the seams press "better" to one side then and I have a "flatter" and "tidier" looking seam line

The reason is along the same lines as the "scant" quarter-inch theory.

The thread takes up space.
So if you just sew them and press them (open or to the side), you're not getting it as flat as you can because there is a bit of a bump there from the thread.

Can you see it from the space shuttle?
No.

But try it. Take two scraps and sew them together.
Feel the thread line.
Now just take you iron and press it on the seam line.
Feel again. You can feel how it's nice and smooth.
So now when you go to press the seams (again, open or to the side depending on your preference or situation), it will be flatter.

Also, when you go press the seam to the side, you'll get less tucks and pleats. I just find they move better when the seams are set.

So set the seams, press, and this is where you can bring starch in if you want, press again.

I like my seams and blocks to be as flat as wallpaper.

As for time spent, it's negligible. ;-)

i always set my seams- it presses them nice and flat/smooth-helps even up any stitches that may be slightly (off) and sinks them into the fibers of the fabric so when i then press my block open (or to one side) the seam is nice-straight- and smooth. i was taught to set my seams 45 years ago= making clothing in 4-H...a habit i have never left behind.

I do with smaller pieces and quilts that call for precision.

I also always set my seams. Makes the end result flatter, smoother and straighter...just like I wish I still was. :oops: :D

I set the seams before pressing...for the same reason that MTS and ckowl said...

Always set seams

What does it mean to set seams? I've seen that before but I don't know what it means.

Thanks,
Dorian

Thanks for the detailed explanation MTS ... I do like my work to look good, and appreciate attention to detail. So your explanation is ringing loud and clear! And I understand the logic.

I won't be trying it on scraps ... will try comparisons for IRL blocks! Gives me a better sense than doing scrap tests.

<------- waits for Bear's scientific research report!!

BTW ... I smile every time I see your kitty and it's antics!! :lol:

Another one with green blood ... and same vintage! Though I didn't have the seam setting drilled into me. I don't even remember it as being talked about! Now I'm older and ....... !

MommaD .. this I can answer (I think!)

When you sew your two pieces together, you take it from the sewing machine and press with the iron, the way it is. Once pressed, as is, then you open it up to press your seam to the side.

It means that you take your seamed pieces to the ironing board and press the seams. This sort of flattens the thread into the fabric. It is done before you press the seams open or to the side.

Jinny Beyer hand pieces her quilts, "eyeballing" the seam allowances (doesn't mark the seam allowances), and doesn't care how the seams fall when she presses her top. That is, she doesn't even care if seams are pressed symmetrically to each side; she presses from the top and just lets seams open or cross as they will. (At least, this is what she explained in a video I watched many years ago, and I have no reason to believe she has changed her methodology.)

My thinking about this is that the additional degree of exactness achieved by setting seams may end up being more theoretical than practical. It doesn't make or break a quilt. Its usefulness may depend somewhat on the thread used in piecing, making more of a difference if it's a heavier thread than a lighter weight thread. The small improvement in exactness will also have more of an effect on a pattern requiring lots of small, precise pieces; for a typical rail fence, it probably won't make any observable difference in the finished piece.

I will set seams if I am in a mood to do it, but for most of us I'm not sure if it's a really useful technique.

Setting the seams gives me the control. Some things I want pressed off to one side, and others I want pressed open. That is a judgement call on my part. I want my points to be pointy, and my curves to be curvy. If I go for too long without pressing, I have this little ironing devil that sits on my shoulder that tells me I am being dumb, again. For me, setting the seams in the beginning alleviates finishing problems in the end.

I never used to because I wasn't taught to (self-taught), but I recently started after some quilting friends advised me to. I noticed that it really helps set bias seams, like on HSTs, QSTs and OBWs. They don't tend to warp as much. Since I do a lot of scrap quilting and have to deal with a lot of bias seams, I always set my seams now.

I always do....I can actually see the fabric relax and sometimes I even hear it say "awwwwwww"....LOL

Unless the instructions say otherwise, I always set my seams.

Alas the REAL reason comes out ... I definitely want to hear the fabric say "awwwwwwwwww"!!!!! :lol:

Always have, always will. Makes the seam lay flatter and neater.

I use a wooden Tailor's clapper on all my quilt seams. And I have the Steady Betty. My blocks are as flat as they can be.

If you have a bacon press, that will work as good as the Tailor's Clapper.

You've just hit me with terms I have never heard of before ... Tailor's Clapper? Bacon Press?

I never knew what that meant. I will try setting and see if it seems to make a difference. I am always learning something on this board :)

I don't know the techincal reason for doing it but MY reason for doing it is because I use so much starch my fabric doesn't really fold back willingly so I set the seam with a little steam and a press and then while it is still warm I open the seam up and press it back. The little bit of steam that it gets causes the fabric to soften just enough to fold it back without issue. I never set seams before I started using starch.

The Tailor's Clapper is made to set seams. Here is a picture of one June Taylor use to sell. Scroll about half way down the page. lots of good pressing tool pics there. http://thesewingdivas.wordpress.com/category/pressing/

The bacon press is for when you are cooking bacon to
keep the bacon flat. LOL. Now it is probably called a Panini press. An old flat iron is great for clapping too!

The Steady Betty is a portable pressing surface board that keeps the block from stretching when pressed.

Thanks!
I thought of the real bacon press ... but thought, oh no, she means something else!

I can't grasp what you mean by setting the seams. Is it that you are just pressing the sewing line? you are still going to one side. I just don't know what you all are talking about for sure.

thanks, mommadorian...I didn't know what they meant by "setting a seam" before pressing the seam

thanks, I continued reading and found the answer......

reading where some think that it doesn't make a difference, I would just think that if one does it on your first seam, you should continue on all seams for that particular quilt or project..
just in case it makes a slight change in the size of the seam..as quoted in one of the answers....

just a thought.........

I was taught to alway set your seams and I like the way it makes the block nice and flat.

So maybe what you are saying is that after you sew a seam you just press it down. Maybe this is a machine sewing thing. I am hand sewing so maybe it is not the same thing. I was taught not to press until the quilt is all put together then just mash everything down flat - don't worry about where the seam flops.

I do it all the time it is easier to press to one side after you set the seams, the seams lay flat for you.

I learned never to use the steam to set(quilt) seams, I had problems with it changing the shape of block pieces.???? I set seems on all my quilt pieces then turn the seams to one side. open seams on a quilt I think(thinking isn't the same for everyone) weakens the seam . My quilts are made for long wear resulting in many washings..(kid quilts)
but each to their own way they like to do seams..

I was struggling with my blocks not going together well and was advised to start setting the seam (remembering to "press" not iron) and using a bit of starch. Makes a world of difference to me..so thats what I do.

Ditto!!!

One of the quilting show I saw said always press toward the dark side. (Sounds like Darth Vader. LOL) Press the lighter fabric toward the darker fabric otherwise the dark would show through the lighter fabric.