Seams pressed open or pressed to the dark fabric??
#11
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 294
Originally Posted by peacequiltingnana
I've always been taught to press my seams toward the dark fabric. I'm currently working on a quilt where I'm pressing the seams open and it's really coming together nicely. Do any of you usually press your seams open? Is there a reason you shouldn't?
The only reason to press to one side that I've read that makes sense to me is that if your batting has a tendency towards bearding, the gaps between the stitches are always bigger than the gaps between the threads in the fabric.
Since most battings of reasonable quality these days don't beard, I think seam allowances should be pressed whichever way makes sense in context.
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 5,397
99% of the time I press them to the side; I was told the reason for this was that over time the batting can sometimes come up thru the seams when pressed open. I don't know if this is true w/the batting we use today but why push fate. There are times that seams don't want to lay flat when pressed to one side and you need to do them open. I only do this when all the steam in the world isn't going to make them lay flat.
#18
I usually press open simply because I prefer the way they lie. Also, I hand-quilt and if I need to quilt across a seam, I prefer fewer layers to quilt through. However, if the seam allowance is going to show through or if I really, really need that seam to nest snugly, I'll press to the side.
#19
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276
Popular topic recently. Lots of info here:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-133318-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-133239-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-132245-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-133318-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-133239-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-132245-1.htm
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: howell, Mi
Posts: 2,345
I usually press to the dark side. If a lot of seams come together, I will press open. I find that the intersections nest better if they are pressed to one side. I always felt that it made the seam stronger, and the batting wouldn't migrate through. I also used to back stitch at the beginning and end of a piece--I don't do that anymore, but it was hard to break the habit left over from years of garment sewing.
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05-17-2011 11:45 AM