Quiltspiration

Pressing seams for quilting

Pressing means lifting the iron and setting it down, not sliding it. Sliding stretches the fabric, and a stretched seam won't match its neighbor. Most quilters press with a dry iron on the cotton setting.

There are two ways to press a seam: both seam allowances to one side, or open, one to each side. To the side is faster and lets seams nest; open lies flatter where many seams meet.

By Editorial Staff

Pressing a seam

  1. Set the seam. Press it flat just as you sewed it, before opening the pieces. This sinks the stitches into the fabric and smooths out any puckers.

    Cross-section of two layers of fabric sewn together

  2. Press to the side. Open the pieces and press both seam allowances toward the darker fabric, so they don't show through the light one.

    Cross-section with both seam allowances pressed to the dark side

  3. Or press open. Run a fingertip or the point of the iron along the seam to open it, one allowance to each side, then press. Open seams lie flattest where many points meet, as in the center of a star.

    Cross-section with the seam allowances pressed open

  4. Nest the seams. When two rows meet, press the seams of one row one way and the next row the other way. Laid right sides together, the seam allowances butt against each other and lock, so the corners line up without pins.

    Two rows with their seams pressed in opposite directions

Press toward the darker fabric when you can, and plan pressing directions so seams nest in the next step. When a pattern says "press open", it is usually to reduce bulk where several seams meet.

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