It's so good to see you back Vicky. I'd been thinking about you and your family.

I don't see any trend in ironing seams open. I do it only for very bulky places but always have. In general, I think seams are still going to one side.

Don't be a stranger.

Hi Vicky! Great to hear from you!

Funny you should mention this: just this past Saturday I taught a scrap quilt class for our guild and noticed a member in the class pressing her seams open. I did not comment on this.

At this time, I still press my seams to the side, don't think I have ever pressed them open. There may be times when I could have pressed open but didn't because I'm not in the habit of doing that.

The thing that keeps going through my mind is this: if the seams were pressed open, aren't they more vulnerable to stress on the seam threads? Picture a child on a bed, jumping up and down on a quilt, putting stress on the seams and threads each time he/she comes down on the bed. It seems to me that pressing to the side may cushion the seams a little more than if they were pressed open?

I don't know - maybe I am overthinking this.....

Teresa

double post deleted

This post was edited by teresa_nc7 on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 9:31

Glad to see you back.
I press my seams to the side because they nest better and I think it makes for a stronger seam. That said I do press open for areas that have extra bulk and for set in or Y seams for matching purposes.

Glad to see you back.
I press my seams to the side because they nest better and I think it makes for a stronger seam. That said I do press open for areas that have extra bulk and for set in or Y seams for matching purposes.

I agree with Teresa. I think it makes a stronger seam to press to the side. The only time I press it open is when there are a lot of seams crossing.
I have noticed directions to press seams open in some of the magazines. I use my own judgment on which way to press.

Linda OH

Hi, Vicky! Nice to have you back!

I've heard that the original reason for pressing seams to the side was to keep the batting from "bearding" - working its way out through the seams and making fuzz on the outside. Now batting is bonded to keep it from bearding, so pressing to the side for that reason isn't necessary.

I press to one side if I need seams to nest and match up. Sometimes I press open if it seems like that will lay flatter than pressed to the sides.

Quilters who were trained in clothing construction are conditioned to press seams open; I know from experience that's a hard habit to break! LOL

Donna

Hi, Vicky! Nice to have you back!

I've heard that the original reason for pressing seams to the side was to keep the batting from "bearding" - working its way out through the seams and making fuzz on the outside. Now batting is bonded to keep it from bearding, so pressing to the side for that reason isn't necessary.

I press to one side if I need seams to nest and match up. Sometimes I press open if it seems like that will lay flatter than pressed to the sides.

Quilters who were trained in clothing construction are conditioned to press seams open; I know from experience that's a hard habit to break! LOL

Donna

Hi Vicky, good to hear from you!

I like the nesting that results from pressing to one side, but I recently pressed open and it was certainly less bulky. I will try pressing open again.

I read an interesting article by Mabry Benson about pressing open. She made the same point that Donna did about clothing seams pressed open and she says clothing gets more wear and pulling than most quilts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mabry Benson on pressing open

I've been doing a lot of "modern" quilts lately, and I noticed that most of them said to press seams open. It is certainly a lot more work. It took me forever to press all the seams open on the Beach Glass quilt from Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr that I made. It was basically a Chinese Coin pattern with very narrow columns. It would have been very bulky had the seams been pressed to one side though. I was amazed at how heavy the top was.

I haven't decided if it's easier for me to nest seams or just match them. I get some goofs with either method.

Lois, the watercolor hunter star I recently did said to press the seams open, too...what a pain with 1-1/2" squares! LOL

Irons used to have a nice, sharp point on the front which made pressing open really easy. I haven't seen an iron with a sharp point in years - must be some safety issue or something.

Donna

Lois, the watercolor hunter star I recently did said to press the seams open, too...what a pain with 1-1/2" squares! LOL

Irons used to have a nice, sharp point on the front which made pressing open really easy. I haven't seen an iron with a sharp point in years - must be some safety issue or something.

Donna

Hi, Starting at the beginning of 2012 I took a quilting class and the instructor was adamant about pressing seams Open. I then went to the retreat in Oct. 2012, and noticed the experienced quilters at the retreat (all from this quilting forum) pressed seams to the side. Having done both, I find both work, but I prefer the results when pressing to the side. That being said, a modern quilting book I just purchased, recommended pressing open.
My bottom line: I do what works for the top or block I am making...the end results are almost the same in my experience.
V.

Hi, double entry...gremlins working
V.

This post was edited by littlehelen on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 19:23

Vicky, I've missed you!

Seams? You know there are no quilt police at my house. Whatever works and is easiest so it's mostly to the side. The few times I press open is when there is a 'point' on the front and back piece of fabric that is supposed to be matched up.

SharonG/FL

Does anyone understand why we are getting double post on this thread?? I noted the Teresa was able to delete one of hers but I don't know how...

Something seemed to be weird earlier today - when I clicked submit it would bring up a box asking if I wanted to open or save something...trying to get out of that seemed to result in double posts.

Must be gremlins. :)

Donna

Vicky - so happy to see you back!

As for seams, I do whatever will give me the flattest, non-bulky block. If it's a simple four- or nine-patch, the pressing to the dark makes all kinds of sense. The seams will lock into place.

But if a block has 8 or more pieces coming to a point, l always press the seams open.

Do what works for you.

Mine are pressed to one side in almost every quilt unless I need to reduce bulk. It's easier and it's habit - and it works for me. If I use a lot of white or off-white in a quilt I would definitely press to the dark side so the seam allowance doesn't show.

Nice to see you, Vicky!

Kate

Yep, the gremlins are back again! At work I kept getting a pop-up letting me know I was being protected on this site and yes, I did end up double posting - so I deleted the second post.

Isn't it funny that other message boards like Ravelry hardly ever have issues?

Teresa

Glad to know I'm not alone in side pressing. I also think it's all in the way we were taught to start out.

Vicky

I was taught to press to the dark side. About 2 years ago I had a pattern that stated press seams open. IT TOOK FOREVER!!! I kept forgetting and would press to the side, so I just stopped trying to press them open.

I find it must easier to match the units when pressed to opposite sides. It took me much longer and I had to use more pins when I was pressing open.
Rosa