In my first quilting class I was told to iron seems in the direction of the darker fabric or toward the least bulk. But is there a real reason why I can't iron my seams open?

I'm not real experienced at quilting, but I guess it depends on what you're doing with the seam. If you're doing one of those star thingies, then open works best, less bulk, but if I am going to match blocks and want a perfect join, then I press seams to the dark, so that when I am matching the seams they just meld right together. Hope you understand that.

They tell you to press the seams toward the dark so when the batting is layered on the dark fabric does not show through( thanif you pressed toward the lighter fabric) . It is a pbit faster to press to one side rather than open.
Personally I press open most of the time( quilting for over 35 years) . I like a really flat block.

Kryssa, there really isn't a reason not to iron your seams open anymore, and although I've read the reason they were customarily ironed to one side, I don't recall what it was. A number of quilters iron their seams open because they prefer the absolutely flat look it provides. Some also believe free motion quilting is easier with flat seams. I believe there is some concern that seams are more likely to get skewed when ironed open, and that intersections of blocks require more special handling. I've done both, but I'm not experienced enough to have much of an opinion either way. When I have a little extra time, I'll try to find the sites where I originally got this information and post the links. Have fun!

Quilters choice.

Clothes have seams pressed open unless they have been serged.

Although, if my light fabric is thin, I find it's best to press towards the dark.

I think it's what ever works best for what you are piecing.

One reason I was told many years back was that if you leave your seams open the batting can come through the seams during a wash. I wonder if todays batting would do that?

A second reason is ease of butting up the seams. Matching your seams is so much easier.

Of course ironing towards the dark is always a reason as well.

I've heard some say a quilt lays flatter if you iron the seams open, but I was taught to iron them to one side, and I'm afraid of the quilt police, lol.

This history of the seam pressed to one side originated when quilts were hand stitched. Pressing to one side strengthened the seam. Now that most quilts are machine sewn that is no longer a necessity.

My thoughts on the pressing to one side (light to dark) ... when you sew two sets together, the points line up (nest) better when one goes one direction and the other another. Seams ironed to left, nestle to those ironed to the right... not sure this is coming out right.. but it sort of locks the seams and keeps the points aligned. Correct me if I am wrong. :)

One reason to press a seam to one side instead of open:

If the stitching failed, then there would not be a "gap"

Also much easier to Stitch In the Ditch if pressed to one side. No hard & fast rule - whichever feels and looks best to you.

I have been quilting for 30 years and tho I know am more into miniatures I have done larger quilts in the past. I have always ironed my seams open. It is less bulk and I prefer the flatter look. I haven't had any problems with batting coming through.

Twilliebee: I love your avitar pic! 8-)

My idea behind it is that you do that to keep the batting from poking through and the fact that the quilt will stay together longer and has less of a chance for the seams to rip.


Billy

I'm with twilliebee, it 'nests' more nicely. Most of the blocks I've made are done in rows first and when you align the rows to connect them, they just snug up nicely and lay flat once sewn and turned. I could never get them to line up rite until I learned to make my rows and press everything in one direction and then connect the rows leaving the second row turned opposite.....usually I count the stacks of rows I am ironing and the second, fifth, eighth, (etc) rows ironed opposite. Makes sense to me and probably only me. Again, I've never read it in the books.

Blessings, Ruth

Carol Doak says that it puts too much pressure on the weakest part of the quilt----the thread.

I always press seams open. I have tried the other way and didn't like the results.
It can do away with a lot of bulk on certain designs.
A hand stitched seam unless it is backstitched each stitch is just not as strong as a machine stitch.
You can also see a depth perception to a block that has the seams pressed to just one side.

It makes the quilt sturdier to press to one side. As one person said, it puts less stress on the weakest link, the thread.
It's also (for me) quicker to press to one side. And I burn my finger tips less often..
:-o

Every quilting teacher I've had advised pressing seams open.
Blocks lie flatter and hand quilting is easier.

I very rarely do though - am too lazy

Try both and see which one you prefer. I've done both but I think from now
onwards I will be pressing everything open. I was amazed how much flatter
my seams were (with a wet finger) but the seams were flat, flat, flat...like
glued. OK I starch my fabric before cutting so maybe the starch is
reactivated there but I like it. :D

Thanks Sharon for this tip. I was scared to use water but now I keep
a little dish of water next to my ironing board and dip my finger before
pressing each seam. :thumbup: I need to try this with a small sponge
and see how it works.

If you use the SID (Stitch-in-the-ditch) quilting, your quilting would secure only through the thinnest part - your stitches. I would not trust it to not come apart. However, I have pressed some blocks open when a lot of seams converged. I don't think it's an all or nothing approach.

You can press them open, but there are some you really can't. Such as curves like the drunkard's path or grandma's fan is better to press to one side.

If it's going to be a quilt that will be used & washed alot, pressing to one side makes a stronger seam. Carol Doak is right-the thread is the weakest part;

I press seams open on wall units. There is no stress on those seams. I entered a wall piece in state fair and had a comment about "excellent seam joining" The seams were pressed OPEN.

I press the seams open every time.

I always press my seams open. I also make my stitches smaller. The reason for that is...as you cut your blocks the stitching may want to pull out. I like this method because it always lays flat.

you should always iron them to one side your pattern will tell you how to press then helps when you are sewing them

Right! No reason not to press open. In the days of hand pieced blocks, seams were pressed to the side to give them more strength, but with the lock stitch of machines today, it is not necessary. I like the way seams pressed in opposite directions "lock' when I sew them, but if you're careful, seams pressed open will be just fine.

I do both- one side when I need seams to nest and open when I need a flat block

It seems it is up to you how you do it. I learned to press them to one side so that's what I do. I am a creature of habit.

There are times when you should iron them open. But, let me tell you, it's a lot of work. Going to one side is much easier and the seams stay straight. When you iron them open, they can easily get curves ironed in. And when you put blocks together, the ironing to the CORRECT direction is of supreme importance.

Cynthia

pressing seams to one side is a residue of hand piecing.

I iron them open sometimes, but you run the risk of the batting showing through.

You press the seams to one side so you will not have gaps for the batting to 'leak' through. The gaps are 'teeney' but remember we used to sew by hand. If you are doing a star block, it will be flatter if all seams are 'to the right' then there will not be a bunch at the center.
It is also much easier to press to one side, you sort of gently pull the fabric in one direction and push the iron in the other and you will have nice neat seams that are completely open.
Keep in mind that you really want to press more than iron, in other words, press the iron down but do not push and pull as you may distort the seam, particularly if youhave something on the bias.
Mary

I press to the sides 99% of the time. There are certain blocks that have to have the seams open to lay flat. When I press the seams open I can see the thread and I don' like that look. If you press the seams to opposits sides you have two layers when you join the blocks you have two layers on each side of a joined block. When you press the seams open and join to another block you still have two layers. Again as several have said, Do what works best for you. We'll keep the quilt police away from your quilts. :lol:

Hello Kryssa, I was taught that a seam pressed open might spread bulk, but is weaker - a thread can easily be snagged (say by a buckle on a child's shoe or broken zip in clothing) and the whole seam could be ripped open with fabric actually tearing in different directions thus making a major repair necessary. Strong seams are a must in patchwork, hope this helps :D

If the block has a lot of seams I press them open. I always fan out my intersecting seams if I press to one side. The block will lay much flatter by opening the intersecting seams.

Wen you press all seams to the same side, it will evern out when you butt two seamed pieces together. also when you quilt (and in the old days, it was ususally by hand,) the quilting would go on the seam side and make a stronger seam as it was sewn like a flat fell seam (I am showing my age)

Mary

I only press to one side if I am using lights and darks. I feel better knowing my dark side is not going to show up on the light side if I press towards the dark but otherwise I like an open seam.

I press my seams open. Seem to lay better in my opinion.

It makes the seams stronger,