Seams pressed open
 

I made my first quilt in 2010 (a queen size). Hand pieced and hand quilted. It was a scrappy quilt with 9 pieces in each 9" square. Since I used to make all my clothes, I stitched each square from edge to edge and I pressed my seams flat. When I quilted, I quilted 1/8 inch from seam around every piece. During the process, I learned that I was supposed to stitch from seam allowance to seam allowance and press my seams flat. I did this on my next 2 quilts neither of which has looked as nice or stitched as nice as the first one. I've just started a quilt for my DGD and I'm stitching pieces from edge to edge and pressing seams flat. I've washed my first quilt (which is on our bed) several times and have had no problems with the seams coming apart. So............

The way you did the first quilt was just fine. Go with what worked for you and looked good.

so...was there a question involved?
there are no hard-set rules when it comes to quilting- there are no quilt police- you can do it any way you want-in any manner that works for you-
sometimes it is recommended to press seams to one side so you can easily nest adjacent pieces & get good points/joins- but people manage to do it with their seams pressed open too- it is your project- your hobby- do it the way you like and enjoy the process---don't concern yourself with how (barb down the street) does it :)

I almost always press to the dark side; I only press the seams open when otherwise I'd have bunching of fabric

I like to press seams open because it makes for easier quilting.

I've done it both ways depending on what I'm doing. I was watching Fons & Porter recently and Marianne talked about how she always presses to the dark but that everyone has their own way of doing things - so not that I needed her permission, but, am going to do what works for me.

That's true. Plus it makes matching seams easier. And you never have to worry with those pressing diagrams or pressing direction problems.

I come from a garment sewing background as well. I tried going to the 'dark side' in quilting and quickly evolved to pressing all my seams open whenever possible. I, too, find it makes a much flatter and easier to (hand) quilt project. Go with what works for YOU.

I press open ! and have had many an encounter with the "quilt police" ... insisting it less than exceptable method.
It's up to each quilter to decide what gives them the results they intended.

I have read where it is acceptable to do either but I just don't have the patience to press open.