Pressing those seams!

Such an interesting topic and it took this little complex block to really give me the example I needed when I say you can (and maybe should) do both - pressing to the dark side and pressing open. It is all about the block........

This little complex block is only 6" (finished),, therefore each of its components are 2" each (finished), which makes the strips for the squares 1 1/2" and the starting block for the HST easy 8 6 1/2"....... that is working (for me) in the smaller range where accuracy is critical. Now this block looks a little wonky as its lying there in the photo and only just makes it to the 6 1/2" unfinished size, but it is a powerful block for this discussion.

I used both "pressing to the dark side" and "pressing seams open" on this block as I thought it would work best for me at certain stages of constructing the block and then constructing the quilt.

Let's analyse that a bit further......

The first steps in making this block were:

1. the strip set of the dark green and pale yellow and the dark green and mid orange. I made a WOF strip set using 1 1/2" strips. Once the strip was sewn, I cut it into Half WOF, as I find it easier to press half length - these strips I pressed to "the dark side". It just makes nesting so much easier and accurate.

2. The HST blocks, I always use the Easy 8 method where I can, as it is the most economic on fabric and time when you need multiples for a quilt. I always press my "seams open" with HSTs as they often meet at the points and that can get bulky and lopsided and can also impact when quilting.

You can see in this photo, that the strip seams are pressed to the dark side, but all the joining seams are pressed open.

I really find that pressing strip sets to the dark side makes nesting so much easier, and because of the contrasting colour, I needed the nesting to be as perfect as I could manage. So pressing to the dark side made sense.

However, when joining seams, I often find that pressing to the dark side ends up with seams not sitting as neatly as I would like and often I have to snip a seam or re iron it to the opposite side, and for me that is messy and so I have moved to pressing my joining seams open.

I could have pressed to the dark side with the longer joining seams, but I do not know for sure with this quilt where the joins will sit when the whole quilt is put together, because it is a combination of different size blocks - there is an 18" block, 6 x 12" blocks, 11 of these blocks and 11 of hearts appliqued blocks.

So really, to be on the safe side, I am pressing all my joining seams open, partly for potential alignment but also to keep everything flat and balanced so that when I come to quilt I do not have any ridges.........

I have been chatting with "Claude AI" about quilting recently and that is a whole other story that I might blog about soon......... but while I am writing this I asked that quilting question "to press to the dark side or not"........ just to see...... very interesting......

From Claude AI......

What a classic quilting debate! Here's my take on both camps:

Pressing Seams Open

The case for it:

• Seams lie flatter, which helps with precision piecing — especially important in dense blocks like Flying Geese or Half-Square Triangles

• Reduces bulk at intersections, which matters enormously when many seams converge (think: 16-patch blocks or paper piecing)

• Results in a more even surface for quilting, particularly if you're doing dense machine quilting

• Preferred by many modern quilters and those coming from garment sewing traditions

The downsides:

• Each seam is only held by the width of the stitching line — if a thread breaks, you get a gap (the seam has no "backup")

• The stitching line is exposed on the back, which can wear over time, especially in heavily used quilts

• More time-consuming to press accurately

Pressing to the Dark Side

The case for it:

• Traditional quilting wisdom, passed down through generations for good reason

• The seam allowance is hidden under the darker fabric, so it doesn't shadow through to the front

• Stronger construction — the seam allowance reinforces the stitching line

• Nesting seams (opposing seams at intersections) creates beautifully crisp joins with almost no pinning needed

• Faster pressing workflow

The downsides:

• More bulk at intersections, which can cause distortion or make it hard to quilt through

• Can create a slightly raised ridge on the quilt top

The honest answer (again from Claude AI)

It depends on the pattern, the fabric, and the quilter. Many experienced quilters do both — pressing to the dark in most of a block, but opening seams at particularly bulky intersections. Some rules of thumb:

• Paper piecing / foundation piecing → almost always open, for flatness

• Traditional piecing with nesting opportunities → dark side makes life easier

• Very light fabrics → open, or toward dark, to avoid shadowing

• Show quilts or wall hangings → open, for maximum flatness

• Utility/heirloom quilts that will be washed repeatedly → dark side, for durability

Very nice of Claude to agree with me.........🤣 - it depends!....... on what you are making and your preferences in the way you work and what you find works best for you......... Pressing like many things is a "tool", it is part of the overall process and as such needs to suit what the end product needs...... not the other way around......

I feel very settled in my own mind now as to the why........ I will let the quilt block tell me what it needs for it to be the best it can..... to show off its best qualities....... and to shine in amongst the rest of the blocks, who also want to shine.......

With a philosophical whimsical smile,

Brenda Marie