Trying to figure out which way to iron these seams is driving me batty, and I'm only making a patchwork Christmas stocking! I can't imagine doing this on a whole bed quilt. So, from now on, I'm ironing all my seams open. Go ahead, shoot me! Steal my favorite seam ripper! :mrgreen: I actually find matching points & seams easier that way anyway.

Do what works for you...

You can do whatever turns your crank! I usually press to the side, but don't worry too much about which way. I can match seams anyway, so that is not a concern. It's your stocking!

:lol: No shooting or stealing of the seam ripper allowed! The rule of thumb is to press the seams toward the darker color. That doesn't always work if you have intersecting seams where they both fall on the same side. However, pressing everything open isn't the answer either. If the thread breaks between those seams, then you see right through to the batting. The seam is stronger when the seams are pressed to one side.

Time for a break. Go get a cuppa and a snack to go with it and come back to it later. {{{hugs}}}

I always do what is easy for me. No use getting all worked up tight over something that is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

Do what you want and keep the badge polish handy.....lol!!

I have the same problem. Especially when I am doing rows. Trying to figure out which way to press so they butt up. Just when I think I got it, I don't.

it is sometimes frustrating, for sure. sometimes, when i see that it is going to be a problem, i just re-press to the other side. it's your quilt,do it your way

Open seams are fine for things like stockings, wallhangings and other things that don't get a lot of hands on use.

On a quilt that is used as a quilt, it really does compromise the seam and I avoid that. The exception is for things like an 8 pointed star, then I "swirl" the seam to avoid that bump where they intersect.

That said, I'm not anal about how my seams are pressed....I try to press to the dark, but locking is more important IF that is possible.

In the end, I find that whether the seams lock or don't, and even if they twist between pieces (are laying one way at one end of the seam but the other way at the other end) none of it is really noticeable once the item is quilted.

So while the purist in me gasps a little at pressing seams open, the only real danger is you'll be slightly more likely to have to do a little seam repair somewhere in the future.

I iron my seams open 90% of the time. It's much easier to match seams this way. Many think that covering the seam with the seam pressed in one directions keeps the seam from stress. If you use a quality thread and quality fabric, there isn't much of a worry about that. The quilt is quilted and that keeps the pull of the weight off the seams.