Pressing open
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,018
I never press seams open, guess it's because I was taught not too, so I don't even think of that as an option.
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: The Colony, TX
Posts: 3,364
I do a mixture of both. However when pressing open I like using a Strip Stick http://thestripstick.com/buy_products
We saw this at a QS and one of my friends bought one -so as soon as we got home we took it apart. All it is a piece of half round (I have found my local Home Depot carries this but Lowes didn't) covered with a piece of batting and fabric. so you can guess our next stop was to get some. When making them I actually used Fabric/Batting/Fabric so that the stick went in the little sleeve easier. It really does help
We saw this at a QS and one of my friends bought one -so as soon as we got home we took it apart. All it is a piece of half round (I have found my local Home Depot carries this but Lowes didn't) covered with a piece of batting and fabric. so you can guess our next stop was to get some. When making them I actually used Fabric/Batting/Fabric so that the stick went in the little sleeve easier. It really does help
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nawth o' Boston
Posts: 1,879
I think she means you press open paper piecing when you join the assemblies, unless you press both to the side and nest. IMHO the more you paper piece pieces together, the bigger lump you get despite how you press it and the more you need one of those purple stick things.
I love tucking the seam under the fabric by pressing to the side. Feels so safe and protected. Years of garment and drapery sewing with exposed seams was no problem, but little bits of fabric and a mere 1/4" seam is another thing!
I love tucking the seam under the fabric by pressing to the side. Feels so safe and protected. Years of garment and drapery sewing with exposed seams was no problem, but little bits of fabric and a mere 1/4" seam is another thing!
#25
I believe the habit of pressing to one side was to create a seam that didn't have any open spots for batting to work its way through. With newer types of batting and more piecing being done by machine rather than hand the need for a closed seam is less necessary. I like to nest seams so they match better and this is easier I think when seams are pressed to one side in opposite directions. I do however press some seams open when there is a lot of bulk.
#27
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Heart of Colorado's majestic mountains!
Posts: 6,026
Most often I press to one side because seams nest together better and my method of quilting calls for ditch stitching all vertical and horizontal seams.Then, I can FMQ in each section without layers shifting. Open seams can separate a llitle bit and be wonky. Removing a few stitches in the seam area where several seams come together and flattening the place where these seams come together by spinning the seam allowances seems to eliminate bulk. It is true that in garment construction many seams are pressed open but there are lots of situations that the seam is pressed to one side and graded out to remove bulk. When piecing a quilt both ways of pressing have their place.
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2,376
I do a mixture of both. However when pressing open I like using a Strip Stick http://thestripstick.com/buy_products
We saw this at a QS and one of my friends bought one -so as soon as we got home we took it apart. All it is a piece of half round (I have found my local Home Depot carries this but Lowes didn't) covered with a piece of batting and fabric. so you can guess our next stop was to get some. When making them I actually used Fabric/Batting/Fabric so that the stick went in the little sleeve easier. It really does help
We saw this at a QS and one of my friends bought one -so as soon as we got home we took it apart. All it is a piece of half round (I have found my local Home Depot carries this but Lowes didn't) covered with a piece of batting and fabric. so you can guess our next stop was to get some. When making them I actually used Fabric/Batting/Fabric so that the stick went in the little sleeve easier. It really does help
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1,141
The last 3 patterns I've made called for pressing open. Lots of HST meeting at a point. I just read in Judi Madsen's book Quilting Wide Open Spaces not to do this, since it makes stitching in the ditch harder. I guess I won't be SID on this next one.
#30
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lowell, MA
Posts: 14,083
I began my "quilting career" by first becoming a seamstress and making clothes for myself, DD and DGD, when the seams were pressed open. Then I started quilting and was told to press to the side, and now it's considered OK to press seams open. I would suggest that the rule of thumb be whatever works out best for the quilt, sometimes it's better to press open, especially if you have many seams coming together, and other times to use the pressing to one side method. I think it all comes down to personal preference.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ukdame
QB Help Center
0
06-14-2015 06:14 PM