Quilt in a Day Forums

I am a little confused in SEAMS. After you sew a seam in a blouse you press them open. In a quilt I've heard it two different ways. I've started just looking to see if I will have a bunch of cloth in place and press the way that is least thick. So quilters which way is it please?

June

On most quilt patterns I press the seams to one side so the seams will "lock" together when making pieced blocks. I have heard where it is better to press the seams apart, but I have not made any that require that technique to be used. My personal opinion is that the seam on the quilts hold up longer and the seam is stronger when pressed to one side.

Hopefully someone else will come by soon to give you a better explanation or reason for each technique.

By the way June, I don't remember seeing you around before, so I would like to say welcome to you, and come by often.

Mary/Rosebud

Quilt seams by rule of thumb are pressed together to one side, usually toward the darker fabric. That way, on the the right side of your block, the darker fabric doesn't show through the lighter fabric.
At times you may need to press open a seam on a block, if the bulk will be too much to make the area layer and nice and flat.
There are many great and videos here on the website that show how to press your blocks, so try them out.

One of the things I love best about Eleanor's books and patterns is that she always tells you which direction to press your seams. I love the way she carefully figures out the direction to press so that when blocks are sewn together the seams "lock". Also, the illustrations in her books/patterns make it very clear which direction to press the seam.
Thanks again El for all your hard work to make quilting more fun and lots easier!

Quilting seams are much smaller than clothing seams, 1/4 inch instead of 5/8ths, and they need to be strong, so pressing them together to one side is the preferred method. Also, as the others mentioned, you can butt the seams up to each other when seeing pieces or blocks together.
Joan

when pressing borders, I always press towards the border.

Yes El's tutorials and TV shows are great for us green horns on sewing quilts. Which brings to ming how does she clean up the floor after her just toss it behind her back? LOL

June

Welcome!
Eleanor Burns always tells which way to press the seams and every once in a while it is open. I agree about pressing toward the dark fabric or the fabric that has no crossing seams (borders). I have also heard a reason that hasn't been stated. I have heard one reason is so you can stitch in the ditch in the quilting process. If you pressed the seams open you would not be able to use that technique.
Carol

She has help to clean up the floor! LOL!

Hi June! Ya know how, when you are sewing clothes, you match your seam lines with the seams pressed open? When you quilt, you match the seams with the narrow seam allowances pressed to one side, going opposite directions, so they sort of nest together.

Eleanor Burns and others call the resulting neat look a "tight butt"! My kids used to joke that, "Mama doesn't have a tight butt, but she knows how to make one!"

Carole