I'm sewing a top and keep wondering what you all do--

I sew the squares and iron--everything gets turned every which way so I have no idea which way to iron things so it all works out for a locking seam. So--when sewing rows together do you flip a seam over even if it's sewed that direction--to lock the seams? Or do you want the back to look nice so you keep it as it's ironed but sew over the seams both turned the same way?

I find myself putting a greater importance on locking seams. I'll press the back flat--but seams will be flipped.

I should have stuck with log cabins--it's never an issue there! :-)

I'm on your side. I was just wondering that this week when I tried to iron a mini 9-patch square. Yowee! I'm watching for the answer.

This is definitely one of the areas I struggle with. I try to have the seams lock, and I try to be careful when laying out and pressing to see that they do. I always seem to come with up spots that don't lock and there's no way to press them to make them lock without taking something out...which I hate doing. When that happens I just stitch like they are and hope for the best. It usually turns out okay. I'm finding that when I piece/press in chunks instead of in rows it's less of a problem. May also be the reason I am becoming fond of sashing between blocks :) and seams that are off-set!

If you're doing an all-over machine quilting pattern or meandering it might not matter which way you press your seams. Some teachers prefer if you plan out your pressing order before actually starting a quilt.....IF you plan to hand quilt, it's very important to make sure you've pressed carefully, so that you have the areas with only one layer of fabric where you plan to stitch. Stitching through a seam area by hand is not a fun thing.

the very reason I press all my seams open, with the exception of the obvious like you mentioned, log cabins.

Being new at this I hesitate in advice, but let’s have a go at a couple of observations:

First, I say set the seams on most pieces, as it’s the most natural procedure and lends itself easier to the iron.

Second, interlocking seams (unnatural pressings) are great and at times essential to a good block and or quilt.

Third, the idea that pressing towards the dark seem strange now (limited experience remember) to me since you still end up light on light when doing so ( I can’t imagine a material so flimsy I could see through it in the end).

Pressing is a fussy issue at best, huh?

I have always been told to press my seams to one side as opposed to making clothing when you open them out. I have always pressed to one side. It is tough on bulk when quilting later either by hand or machine, when you have bumps and lumps (as my students started joking around with last night in class).

How many out there press to one side opposed to opening out?

well I agree that quilting by hand or machine is easier if they are pressed open but sometimes that's hard to do and a bit more time consuming. Sometimes when I've pressed one row to lock it doesn't work when adding it to the next row, if the whole seam direction can't be changed I cut that sucker in the middle! 1/2 goes this way and the other 1/2 goes that way.

I press to the darker or solid print as the case may be. It took me a long time to actually do it though, mainly because I was use to the clothing thing too...where you press open. I didn't like the way corners looked on the back when I pressed them open, so, I forced myself to the side thing. It may be for a silly reason, but its a reason that's always stuck with me; Grandma taught me (especially with embroidery, but it translates to most things) if the back looks neat, the front is always sure to. It doesn't always work out that way with my blocks, LOL, but I'm getting there slowly but surely.

I press to the side also, trying to press so next row lines up pressed the opposite way so there is no major bulk, but it does not always work out, so I finger press back the other way if the seams wind up on same side. once quilted, it does not seem to show. I have not had anyone complain anyway!!!!!!! :mrgreen: