setting seams with iron first
 

I'm curious about first setting seams then pressing the seam to the one side. I understand pressing the seam to one side and nesting seams. But what about setting seams. Do you or don't you? And why? I've seen instruction videos where the seams are not set, they are finger pressed to the correct side and then ironed. The seams are not set. The instructor's blocks appear to come out perfect! Opinions please, and thank you in advance!

What I've read is that setting the seam 'fuses' the thread and fabric. Since it's easy to do, I do it. I've never finger pressed, but I would say that if you're finger pressing, it's a different process, so don't worry about not setting the seam.

I definitely find that setting the seam first, then pressing to one side really does make a nicely pressed seam. However, I also am finding that when I have a lot of shorter seams in a black and many pieces of fabric, that finger pressing those short seams spends up the process and then giving the whole block at the end does just fine.

Like all things quilty, it is an individual preference. I set all my seams and I press them open 99.99% of the time. I also starch the daylights out of my fabric and I square up each segment and/or block as I go. For many, my way is futzy and too much, for others it is not enough. Try it and see if it is something that work for you or not. I enjoy just about every process in quilting, so I enjoy reading and trying new things to see if it is something I will enjoy or produce better results. Have fun!

Usually I set the seams before pressing either open or to one side. I don't know about 'fusing' but it does flatten the stitches nicely. I'm not 100% committed to setting because sometimes I have a lot of pressing and get lazy just wanting to get it done but I make the effort on longer seams.

I tried setting the seams and found it actually made my block not lie as flat. When you set the seam, you're pressing one side of it 180 degrees from the direction you want it to eventually go in. So the top piece in the sewn pair, having been ironed in the wrong direction, now has to flip and iron down crisply the other way. I found this created more of a problem than it solved. I quickly went back to simply ironing the whole seam in one direction and leaving it at that.

I don't think it hurts to "set the seam" this way, but I think it's an unnecessary step. I don't do it, and I'm happy with my quilts so far.

I usually do set a seam and then press to one side. It appears that setting the seam pushes the thread into the fabric and makes it flatter. As to finger pressing, it seems it depends on the fabric I'm working with. Some seem to do that very well but others need a little convincing with the iron. I rarely press seams open unless the pattern recommends it. To me, that might leave a seam weaker but then how many years of garment construction and we pressed the back seam of pants open!
As with all things in quilting, whatever works for you becomes "the right way".

As for setting the seam first, I don't. I iron my seams to one side and do it in the direction that the following block/piece seam will nest into it. I figure that since I iron my seams I am 'setting' the threads, since I am ironing over the entire seam when I iron it over to one side or the other.

I find that my seams lay flat better if I'm not 're-ironing' the seam to lay in a different direction - as I would be doing if I ironed it flat to 'set' the seam and then ironed it to one side or the other.

Have you ever pressed the seam to the wrong side, then had to re-press it to the opposite side? It can leave a little ridge. I'd rather not "set" the seam, because I want it to set in the direction I want it, not be flattened, then pressed.