World Wide Quilting Page

Question of the Week

Question for the week of December 29, 1997:

Our question this week comes from Susan

When pressing, does one press both seams to one side or do you press open the seams? Why would one way be better than the other?

tiffin <mcnabtm@open.org> :
Uniformity suggests ironing seams open and if the seam quality is in any way normal of superior in quality it will

Rhonda :
I press both seams to one side. If you press
open the seams, there is a chance that you
may end up with a gap because your sitches
may have a little play in them, where your
seam is. They may not be noticed when you
press open the seams however when you have
finished your quilt and are stretching it
on a quilting frame the seam may become
noticible.
Marianne Daly :
When pressing seams, it is important to consider
where the seam is being used. Is it a bulky area/
Does it butt up against another seam?
What stress will be placed on this area?
In quilting, I have pressed both ways.
I think it really is a matter of choice.
Val :
I press my seams to one side. My mother taught me that way. It is very time consuming to open up the seams to press.
Beth Buse :
In general, you should press the seams together - towards the darker fabric. The reasons are simple. First of all, it prevents "bearding" through the seam. If the seams are pressed open, some of the batting may leak through to the front of your quilt - "bearding". When you press the seams toward the dark color, they don't show through to the front of the quilt. This also acts as a guide when you are quilting your piece.

The only exception I have found to this rule is when you are piecing together a star. I found that by pressing the seams open, the star lays flatter and is easier to work with - no volcanos in the middle!

Hope this information helps you to determine those "pressing" issues.

Marion Kerr :
Press both seams to one side. There are several reasons this works well in quilting. First, if you press toward the darker color, you will not see the darker through the lighter fabric. Also, when you line up edges to sew a seam, it will be easier to match opposing seams. The main reason for pressing both in the same direction is that once the quilt is completed, it will be easier to repair a seam that has come "undone." The batting will not find its way out of the opening as easily and you can handstitch it closed.
Annie :
Usually both seems are pressed to one side. This reason for this is that it makes the seam stronger.
bjrusso@aol.com :
when pressing the material both of the seams should be to one side to give the seam more strength.
cindy :
Always press seams to one side toward the darker fabric. This strengthens the seam.
jane at crittenburg@msn.com :
I press to one side, the dark side. That way it won't show through as a shadow on the top. Also When pressing place the LIGHT side down on the ironing board, with the dark side "up in the air" so to speak, iron toward the dark side, and the seam allowance will automatically press toward the dark. :)
Montakes :
I always press my seams open. The quilt lies flatter and handquilting is easier (less bulk in any given area).
bprice@cyberus.ca :
I press the seams to one side in most cases.The seams then interlock ,if pressed in opposite directions,making matching seams much easier to do.
granny kay :
If you press the seam to the dark fabric side it doesn't show as much and it lays very flat.
Rosalen Becker :
In quilting, I press to the side of the darker fabricunless I am going to have seams that cross, then I try ti have one seam going on way and the other, the other way--less bulk in the seams.
Susan :
As a general rule I press my seams to one side but I have on occasion pressed seams open. I believe there are times when a pattern warrants the use of pressing seams open and other times it is best to press them to one side. There is an excellent book out now called "Press for Success", by That Patchwork Place. The book is an excellent guide and gives different scenarios where pressing seams open is best and also when to press seams to one side. I don't think a person should get into a rut with one pressing method. There is a time and a place for utilizing both methods. I agree with the fact that seams pressed to one side give added durability but flat seams, and the method of quilting, either by hand or machine should all be factos in determining which way to press.
Anthony :
Like most things, depends on situation and personal preference. I do both. Never had problem with bearding. As I understand, bearding occurs during quilting when the needle pulls polyester fibers through the surface of the fabric. Have other had problems with fibers migrating through seams? Of course, I machine piece. Hand piecers may have different concerns. Most who insist always press to one side admit times when they must press seams open too. If you can do it some of the times, why not others.

Pressing to one side helps when trying to match seams as with a ninepatch. Pressing open leaves a much flatter block and makes it easier to quilt across seam lines. Where you want seams to disapppear, press open. Where multiple seams come together, like the center of a LeMoyne Star, press open to get flat center. I press open the seams of half square triangles to avoid bulk in the joining seams. Were a perfect match is required, like Mariner's Compass, press open.

Françoise Trottier :
You should press both seams to one side
because it strenghtens the seams. You
can press the seams open in the case of
very thick fabric for special project
like banners.
Pam R :
Always press both seams to 1-side!!
If you don't, the batting will "bleed"
through the seams. (even bonded batting
will do this after several washings)
nyquilter@worldnet.att.net :
in my opinion,there is no "right" way to press seams. it depends on how intricate your piecing,and how you plan on quilting your quilt. the standard rule has always been to press to the dark, in other words, press your seam allowances towards the darker fabric, so it will be less likely to show thru the front of the quilt. this works well on most basic patterns, and is a good rule for the beginning quilter. however, if you plan on an intricate pattern with lots of small pieces and lots of quilting (either hand or machine) you might just want to press your seams open to avoid the bulk of seam allowance when trying to do work in tight places. the other argument for pressing to one side is that it will help your quilt to be more durable, stay together longer. again, if you plan to have lots of quilting, pressing open will not hinder your quilts durability, you will counter that with all the quilting. either way, be consistant thru your piece. do one or the other from beginning to end, and do neat work, it will help greatly!

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