Mitch's mom

The seams on my clothes are pressed open and it gets a lot more stress to the seams than any quilt I will ever make. I started pressing them open and am much happier.

pattypurple

How do you easily press them open? When I try I end up with a mess of parts pressed every which way. Do I need to use a tiny iron, or risk burning my fingers?

Lori S

I have been pressing my seams open for decades. The only disadvantage I have seen is it take a bit longer.

b.zang

Although I'm not opposed to pressing seams open, I like how pieces nest together when a match is made of seams pressed in opposite directions.

Alexandra

Handpiecing, always open. It was how I was taught years and years ago by my grandmother. Machine piecing to the side if seams will be butted, but the last few in a block, open to reduce bulk.

IAmCatOwned

I have a single quilt where I pressed seams open. Will never do it again. Unless you quilt very closely, over time, the seam will stretch revealing threads that connect the fabrics. Not a problem with miniature quilts. How hard your quilts are used may be a factor in this. My own bed quilts are washed only twice a year. Some people wash their quilts as often as they change their sheets.

mighty

I do both, depends on the quilt and the bulk.

QM

Pressing to one side is stronger, especially if you quilt through the fabric layers. You are relying on the sewing thread to keep its strength. Pressing open is far superior at really bulky points, like the center of a le Moyne star. There is the added advantage that you have less problem with 'shadowing' though lighter fabrics.

quilter2090

Pressing seams to one side is a holdover from when everyone was hand piecing. With sewing machines, that really isn't needed. Think about it, when one is garment sewing, all seams are pressed open to reduce bulk. Now, a article of clothing is going to have a lot more stress on seams than a quilt will have. When wearing pants, you sit down in them, bend over, etc with open seams in the construction. A lot of the so-callled rules in quilting are left over from the time when all quilts were made by hand,not using a tool like a sewing machine. The sewing machine creates a much sturdier seam.

Scissor Queen

The seams in most of my clothing are pressed to one side because they're serged. I rarely press seams open. I like them pressed to the dark side. Do what works for your quilt construction.