QuiltnNan

Welcome from western NY and happy quilting

NJ Quilter

I usually press open as I like the flatter block/quilt top. I also find I'm able to better match up seams/points with open seams vs those pressed to the sides. I've never conquered the 'nesting' thing with seam matching. I've not had issues with any of the quilts I've made pressing seams open.

Do what works for you.

sewbizgirl

In my NSHO, pressing seams open is not good quilting. You are putting all the stress of holding the quilt together on the seams/thread. Plus, you have lost the advantage of being able to nest your seams and stitch in the ditch, as there is no ditch. If you are concerned about bulk at the intersections you can spin your seams, which leaves the intersection as flat as if you had pressed the seams open.

Barb in Louisiana

I have sewn clothes and ironed the seams open and see them ravel almost to the point of coming apart. I like the iron the seam allowance to one side method used in quilting (which would be too much bulk and show up in clothes that don't have any lining) and find that after quilting and washing, you can't tell where the seam allowances are in the quilt anyway.

I have ironed seams open in only 1 project and that was a strip piecing block that the strips were 1" wide. It was just too much bulk all going sideways and there was no reason to nest the seams as the stripped segments were sewn to a half circle. With such small seam allowances (1/4"), I am afraid that one or both sides of the fabric will start fraying as I handle the blocks and before you know it, I will have no seam allowances left and the block will start pulling open. I have used some fabric that frayed so badly that after the first seam, I realized I had to use two seams on each block. If I had been smarter, I would have threaded up my serger and did the seams with it. Oh well, next time. For the second seam, I did a wavy seam inside the 1/4" seam allowance, because I wanted all the threads in the fabric stabilized.

Bottom line, there are normal practices and then there is what you are comfortable with. I like ironing the seam allowance to one side and I have been known to turn a seam in the middle of part of a block when it didn't nest properly. I use pantographs and do the quilting on my quilts. You cannot tell after the quilting is done if a seam is twisted in the middle, even before the quilt has been washed.

Bree123

I have made baby quilts both ways & have not had any issues with seams even with weekly washings for 3 years. I do use a 1.8mm stitch length when working with seams that are pressed open; I use a 3mm stitch length when working with seams pressed to one side. National and international award-winning quilters have done it both ways, so you will be in good company regardless of what you choose.

Karamarie

I think the quilting will hold the seams together, just my opinion.

JENNR8R

What she said... I use a 2.0 stitch length, and (HORRORS!) I even stitch in the ditch without hesitation. I'm not accurate enough in ditch stitching to "only" catch the sewing thread. None of my quilts has ever had a problem with the seams coming apart or batting showing.

I never make a quilt from a pattern so I do not have instructions on which side to press a seam. It is beyond frustrating, and life is too short, to spend time trying to guess which direction to press a seam so all of the intersections go together without a twist in the seam.

The longer I quilt the more I realize that everyone has a method of doing things that works for them. Do what feels natural for you, and don't worry about the "right" way until you run across a problem.

Ariannaquilts

I just wanted to say Welcome to the board and your going to have to find what works for you with your seams. I was taught to do the press to the dark side but after a few years I found Shar Jorgensen and she taught to open your seams she said she did that with every quilt so that is what I started doing. Now after many years I do what I have to depending on the design, if there are many intersecting seams that is when I open my seams.

joyce888

I press open unless it's not feasible due to the pattern. I have learned over the years to shorten my stitch length for stronger seams no matter if they are open or closed.

salederer

I agree with MadQuilter 100%!