how to press

[Beth A.]

at our guild meeting tues. a demo was done on pressing....she set seam then pressed from back then pressed on front...we all had been taught to set seam then press from front....a discussion ensued....she had learned from an older book that was on hand quilting, which she is a hand quilter and most of others are machine quilters...which is the correct way and is it different according to hand or machine quilting...thanks for the help [/b]

[Teri L.]

The "correct" way to press depends on the quilt itself.
If you're hand piecing press as your guild member demo'ed.
If your machine piecing and hand quilting again, press the same way.
If you're doing everything by machine anything goes. The thing with any pressing technique is to make sure that as you set the seam and press that nothing is pleating or puckering. Beyond that seams going in a particular direction or open is fine. Whatever is going to create less bulk as the piecing and quilting progresses is fine.

Teri

[Teri L.]

I have to agree with Littleflower when she says the most important thing is "to make sure that as you set the seam and press that nothing is pleating or puckering". As a hand quilter, I want my seams to lie as flat and as smoothly as possible. Normally when I press I set the seam from the back and then press the block open from the top side. As far as which direction the seam is pressed, I press for ease of construction whenever possible.

[Teri L.]

regardless of which way you press make sure you do not stretch your blocks out of shape during the pressing process; especially if you are dealing with bias.

[Mandella E.]

Starting off as a hand piecer, pressing a seam open feels very wrong to me. I'd better get used to the idea if I'm going to join the New York Beauty blocks currently under production without any sashing.

Also, to steam, or not to steam. What do you think? Personally I don't steam during construction, but I give the finished top a good blast before layering.

[Teri L.]

Mandella are you machine or hand piecing the NY Beauty blocks? If you don't like the idea of pressing the seams open then don't. When I piece NY Beauty blocks I'm usually paper piecing so the seams are going in a particular direction so they get pressed in that direction. When pressing the curves I see which way they're going naturally and go with that. I'm also not one for clipping curves as I think that weakens the seams. Press whatever way you would normally press. I don't use steam until the end of the quilt (just prior to quilting) unless necessary.

[Teri L.]

I use steam all of the way. During the piecing process, and when I have finished the top. The only time I do not use steam is when I am paper foundation piecing, as steam can sometimes distort the paper. I just remember that steam can set a good seam, and is can set a pleat in just as good.