Onebyone

When seams have to match perfectly I use Wonder Tape. It is 1/4" wide and holds the seams together. Washes out. For most scrappy or no contrast color quilts a missed matched seam doesn't bother me in the least.

catsden

I also press my seams open most of the time.

Sync

When I first started quilting, way back in the 80's, I pressed my seams to one side. That was just the way it was done - also add the fact that I hand sewn all my quilts. Now fast forward a few decades, I now piece my quilts by machine and I discovered the challenges of making mini quilts. Making these minis was where I started to press my seams open. With pressing my seams open those mini blocks and quilts laid a lot flatter and there wasn't much bulk where seams came together. I liked how my seams were laying flat and the bulk at intersections were reduced. So mini quilt, up to a queen size quilt (that's the largest I will make) my seams are pressed open.

charlottequilts

Thanks for this, Onebyone.. I’ll look for it.

hugs, charlotte

WMUTeach

I have always been a press to the side gal. The leaders of my quilting group have been trying to convert us to pressing open and I have to admit sometimes it does make a cleaner, sharper block when the seams are open. I have not been converted but do press open on exchange blocks so everyone's blocks are the same or when it is a better choice for our block-of-the-month blocks. When an intersection will make a big-o-lump because of multiple seams, I will yield to pressing open.

In the end, there will always be more than one way to complete a task.

Mkotch

I like to nest my intersections as much as possible, so pressing to one side works better for me. Also, when paper piecing, my seams end up being pressed every which way but open!

peaceandjoy

Nope, I press to the side. While I don't think pressing open weakens a quilt (back in the day, when many people made their own clothing but prior to sergers, seams were pressed open with no problem), I prefer to nest seams. Without pressing to the side, that means a lot of pinning. No thank you, lol.

sewingpup

yep, I learned by pressing to one side and I seldom pin, I just nest them together. I am with the pressing to one side results in a little stronger seam. I have quilted some quilts done by others and have seen where the seams that are pressed open have a slight gap in them with just thread. I think that mainly happens if a too long a stitch is used, or the overall tension of the machine is too loose so the seam can pull apart. On my APQS Lucey, I do not fear bulky seams as so far, my machine just seems to stitch over them just fine although I will be careful when approaching one of those multi seams junctions like in a pinwheel made with denim fabric. I think the bulky seam issue is more common when quilting on a domestic machine. I do press open on occasion when it makes sense, but I really don't like pinning. I seldom pin anything, just finger pin the seams nested together as I go. When I try and use pins, I have to remove them before I get to the needle anyway and just end up finger pinning the seams together then.

joe'smom

I will press open if I'm making a modern pattern that specifies to do so. Note that the little hump you've discovered forms the infamous 'ditch' of 'stitch in the ditch' quilting. If you press open, there is no ditch to stitch in, so that's one thing to keep in mind.

My principal interest in quilting is traditional quilts, and I prefer pressing to the side. I am able to match seams much better when they nest. And truth be told, I enjoy the link to the past that pressing to the side represents. I agree that it comes from the days of hand stitching, when covering the gaps in those seams was necessary.

petthefabric

Depends. Nesting is nice. Mostly my quilts don’t have points or matching seam. If one side already has seams and the other side doesn’t, press to the side the seams want to lay.

To accentuate a particular side of the seam, press to the focus fabric.

To avoid bulking joints for Longarm quilting, press open.

I’ll think of more later.