Should quilt seams be pressed open or to the side?

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Philippa Naylor explains why the conventional wisdom is not necessarily true, and advises how she determines which way to press seams to get the best possible quilt top.
If you want to learn more from Philippa, she teaches online quilting classes through her website www.quiltersquestiontime.com, including a comprehensive Beginner Quilter Class, and a Transformation Series of monthly classes for quilters who want to take their quilting to the next level.
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If you have not come across Philippa before, she is an award winning quilter and quilting teacher based in Yorkshire, England. Her original quilts and garments have been exhibited worldwide. Philippa's quilt 'Lime Light' won ‘Best Of Show’ at the American Quilter’s Society Show, Paducah, Kentucky, USA in 2003 and her miniature quilt 'Measure for Measure' won 'Best Of Show' at the Festival Of Quilts Birmingham, England in 2017, just two of many category winning awards at major shows.
Having taught Quilting around the world for many years, Philippa now travels much less and focusses her time on creating online classes through her popular quilting website www.quiltersquestiontime.com
You can sign up for her Beginners Class teaching everything you need to know to make your first quilt here: www.quiltersquestiontime.com/beginner-101
Or sign up for her monthly transformation series to transform your quilting over 12 monthly classes. Get the first class for just $1 here: www.quiltersquestiontime.com/trial-101

Опубликовано:

29 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 17

@meacadwell 18 дней назад

I do the exact same thing as you with the back stitching, backstitch 1/4 inch from the ends so the backstitch won't be cut off when trimming the block and won't be caught in the seam creating bulk. You're about the only other person I know that does this! If I know when a seam will be an open seam I will also backstitch along the seam in other areas just in case, after much use, that piecing thread snaps. I will also definitely backstitch more often for baby quilts or other quilted things that will see a lot of use and washing to help keep it together longer. One of my biggest quilting pet peeves is when I'm putting quilt blocks together and find piecing seams coming apart so I have to stop what I'm doing to sew them back together again! GRRR! I use both to the side and open seams, depending upon the block. A simple block with minimal seams - to the side only. A block with a lot of seams - both to the side and open where necessary to reduce bulk in certain areas...and I will trim some seam areas to reduce bulk even more. My concern with open seams is always the weight of the quilt and how dense the quilting stitches are in the areas of open seams. After all the only thing keeping an open seam together is one layer of thread used for piecing and one thread in that area used for quilting. All it would take is that one piecing thread to snap and you have a problem in that area.

@margaretderen2082 Год назад

Open seams make stitch-in-the-ditch quilting almost impossible. Also, if seams are open, the only thing covering the batting (wadding) in the seam area is thread. I love the flatness of open seams, but for security and strength, pressed to one side is the better method.

@quiltersquestiontime 11 месяцев назад

Everyone has their own preference, so thank you for your feedback.

@beckypetersen2680 4 месяца назад

Actually, when we learned to stitch in the ditch with garment sewing, you are taught to actually pull the seams a tiny bit to create the ditch as you stitch your facings down - and when you let go, the seams close back up - thus "in the ditch". When you press to one side, you don't actually have a ditch to stitch into. I tend to stitch beside the ditch, anyway - when straight line quilting, as it is more forgiving - at least for my skill level.

@donnanelson9181 3 месяца назад

Regardless of how you press your seams, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, backstitch when you start and stop your seam. It will save you time and headache as you handle your quilt top. I’ve had to learn the hard way. Never again!

@carriesaindon5382 Год назад

I press open. I use 2.0 mm or shorter stitch length. I don't back stitch but my edges stay together.

@quiltersquestiontime Год назад

Fab - thank you for the feedback.

@michele6708 8 месяцев назад

I have naturally started doing a combination of pressing open and to the side based on what seems to work best for the individual blocks. This often means the final construction seams of the block are pressed open to handle the bulk. I also generally like to piece the quilt top in sections rather than rows or columns-just personal preference. That means either a lot more attention to pressing direction, or pressing open, so I usually press open. I do a stay stitch around the border of my quilts, especially if there are no unpieced borders, before sending to long arm. This ensures all seams are crossed, so more secure. I use a 2.0 or shorter stitch length, which also helps ensure seams don’t start to open when pressed open. I should probably do it before putting a top away for eventual quilting myself as well! I know lots of people want to set “rules” , but Philippe has the right of it. When you have enough experience, you will know that these techniques all have their place, and you have to consider the circumstances of the specific situation and make your decision. But you won’t gain that experience until you experiment. Test blocks are definitely worth the time and effort even though it can be tempting to jump right in! Thank you for addressing this oddly controversial quilting issue. :)

@ritareitsma3770 6 месяцев назад

when you are sewing jelly roll strips together and sub cutting there is no way to reinforce the beginning and end of the seam though.

@susanstreet9544 Год назад

What is the name of the quilt in the background please?

@quiltersquestiontime Год назад

I have asked for you, Susan

@quiltersquestiontime Год назад

Hi Susan, this is the Bird by Bird quilt which Philippa made in 2014 for her book Appliqué Mastery. The book did come with this pattern however the book has been out of print for some years now and it is not going to be reprinted