bearisgray

I also thoght it is the seam line/ crease - which I will continue to use - because I like the finished look.

Sewnoma

Well, but if you press your seams open does that mean by definition you cannot stitch in the ditch?

I do my best to sew right in the seam itself regardless of how the allowance was pressed. If I do it right, after washing I really can't see the quilting stitches at all.

Maybe that should be called SITS? (Stitch in the seam?) LOL

Lori S

This is a case were one person says something in a class or other instructional materials and therefore people think "it must be an absolute".
Stitching in the ditch comes from garment sewing, and yes they sewing directly on the stitching line of a pressed open seam, and with matching thread the stitching was nearly invisable.
Quilters started adopting this method and so many define differently where the stitching should go that there is no absolute definition.

Tartan

I aim for the seam line because stitching on the ditch side only works on one block. If you stitch really close to the seam line on the ditch side, then when you get to the next block you can jog over just a stitch or two to be in the ditch of the next block.

SewExtremeSeams

LOL... I think a lot like you do Onebyone. Give me a rule and I usually step outside the line!

joe'smom

I would say so, as there is no ditch (lower area) to stitch in with a pressed open seam.



I wonder what the purpose is, of sewing directly on the stitching line of a pressed open seam in garment sewing? I don't see that you'd be engaging any fabric with the thread, but just sewing over thread.

Neesie

An example is stitching shoulder seams to facings, so that the facing stays flat. If done neatly, the stitching is pretty much invisible.

Jeanne S

This was how I was taught too!

LynnVT

I find the best way to quilt a really neat straight line, so it stays parallel to the seam, is to use the Line Tamer ruler http://fourpawsquilting.com/pages/template.html It makes beautiful straight lines and handles so easily. I use a Sweet Sixteen sitdown quilting machine, and this is my very favorite tool. Found it here on the board.
Thanks for the definition - I didn't know exactly what the ditch is, but I just did exactly that on a quilt I finished off today. Just need to add the binding.

CAS49OR

I didn't think about copyright when I copied the text. It's so easy to do without thinking, isn't it?

Basically the statement on the site was that the "ditch" is the low side of your seam. I was curious about it because I was taught SITD was to sew right in the seam, to hide the stitches at my "Learn to Quilt" class.