Deborahlees

I am just finishing up a quilt where the sashing between the blocks were three pieces sewn together. I had a horrible time trying to get it to look right and lay flat. Ended up sewing those seams open....and bingo everything fell into place. If I know or think that I am going to iron a seam open I try to remember to sew it with a 'tight stitch' for strength......I feel as with just about everything in quilting it is what you want to do, and so often the pattern speaks to you or the fabric speaks.....or you just do what FEELS right at the time.....as we have all said a million times on this board there are no Quilt Police allowed in my house, so I am pretty sure I am not going to jail

joyce888

I press seams open 99% of the time. I too like the way they lay flatter and are easier for me to match seams and not have the intersection move because of the bump.

bearisgray

It really bothers me is when a seam is pressed towards the north on one of the seam and towards the south on the other end of the seam.

It doesn't bother some, but it really bugs me.

jlm5419

Same here. I think it makes the seam lines so much sharper, and I can attest to the fact that it is easier to quilt without those bulky seams, especially at seam intersections.

majormom

I just started to press seams open, and I like the effect very much. The seams are flatter which is not only nicer looking, but will be easier to be quilted. Not only that, but my machine likes it better since it doesn't like to over very think seams when putting the blocks together. I have even considered to make the seams wider than 1/4 inch! I just have to research why the 1/4 inch seam is used. Yes, you save some on fabric, but I would like to have a little extra fabric on each side of the stitching.

coffeebreak

I have done it for the same reason...but..my problem is that the ends start to pull apart. No matter how careful I am..most often by the time I get to piecing it..the ends are a little pulled apart/open when I press the seams open. Does this not happen to you? If not, is there something you do to prevent it? I can see a quick back stitch but at the same time... I have never heard of anyone doing that.

patchsamkim

I have always pressed to one side for the majority of my piecing, but when it comes to joining units, sometimes I do press open as that makes the seam less bulky. I prefer pressing to one side though. Easier to join units when seams "butt."

busy fingers

I think that is purely a personal choice. In my quilt group it is about half and half of "press open" "press to one side".

I press to one side but having said that when I did a patchwork binding recently on a tablerunner I did press the seams open to reduce the bulk in the binding.

EasyPeezy

Try to reduce your stitch length. I use 1.8 for piecing. It's tight enough that the seams
won't get undone and long enough for the seam ripper when needed.

jitkaau

Either way is OK.