aggie

Open. It also seems to help with better measurements since there is no bulk. I don't open on a few patches. Flying geese for example.

tomb

I am not a piecer, I only do longarm quilting so please just let me offer this for your consideration.
First a well stitched seam (anchored stitches on each end) should be more than strong enough for a quilt. If the ends are not anchored it is not as strong. I have seen many seams with loose stitches at the seam corners doe to the lack of anchoring stitches. If these seams are pressed open there is nothing I can do to reinforce them while quilting. If they are pressed to one side then any quilting stitches I put on the 'high' side will go through both pieces of fabric and reinforce the seam.
Second most piecing is enhanced by stitch in the ditch quilting. If the seam is pressed open and my work is perfect I will only be stitching the thread holding the fabric together. This could put enough of a strain on the stitching to pull a gap in the seam and let batting migrate or beard out. If the seam is pressed to one side there is always a layer of fabric there to keep the batting in place.
will either method work? Sure. Are both good enough? Probably. Is pressed to one side stronger? Absolutely.
It is analogous to the two joints in woodworking. A butt joint places 2 boards together. produces a strong joint adequate to nearly all situations. A rabbit joint cut a a groove on opposite surfaces of each board so they overlap. More glue surface no chance of a gap showing through the boards, stronger joint. While both will get the job done there are drawbacks.

AnnT

I do both, depending on the block.

Jingle

I almost always press my seams to one side. If I do press open, I find it easier to match seams by flipping a seam allowance over like it would be to match up seams, then flip back.

quiltinglady-1

Most of the time I press my seams to one side, but occasionally I will press them open. I don't worry about whether or not they are strong because if you stop and think about it, the seams in clothing is press open and there is a lot more stress on them than on a quilt seam. Besides, it's my quilt and I figure I'll press the seams however I want to.

Sewhappygal

I've been quilting for 14 years now and I've noticed my blocks are more accurate when I sew my seams open. I guess it's because I'm afraid of pulling my fabric out of shape when pressing. So depending on what I'm doing depends on which way I press my seams.

lbc

I definitely press open seams if doing stars, pinwheels, etc. they lay much flatter. Otherwise it doesn't matter. Nesting works but it is also very easy to match open seams.

MargeD

The block pattern should dictate how you press your seams. In sewing garments, you press the seams open, then when I started quilting, I was told to press to the darker side, however, you should press open when you need to and press to one side when needed. Pressing the seams open cuts down on bulk, especially if you have many seams coming together. Hope I haven't confused you too much.

daisydebby

When sewing with flannels, I press the seams open. Also, I do a lot of small sized pieces (1.5") and press these open, too. Guess it depends on the project.

gramquilter2

I just began pressing the seams open and really like that way the best. I started because a hand quilter suggested it. Since there really is no Quilting Police either way works.