Preparing Your Quilt Top and Backing for Longarm Quilting
Please refer to the following guidelines, and let me know if you have any questions.
PRESS WELL. I do not offer a pressing or steaming service, so press ALL SEAMS well on the quilt top AND on the quilt back to make sure that the surface will lie flat. If it won’t lie flat for you, it won’t lie flat for me either. Waves and wrinkles are difficult to handle during the quilting process and are likely to introduce puckers, gathers, or the appearance of stretching at the corners.
BACKSTITCH OR SECURE EDGES. Seams that meet the edges of the quilt top or backing should be backstitched. For added seam security, I recommend stitching a “victory lap” all the way around the quilt top 1/8″ from the outer edge. This will keep seams from “popping” at the edges as I quilt.
BE SURE ALL SEAMS WITHIN THE TOP ARE COMPLETE. I will try to mark any that I notice during the quilting process, but they will not be closed for you.
TRIM ALL EDGES OF TOP AND BACKING SQUARE. All edges should be straight and corners should be square, especially on the quilt back. If the quilt top is irregular in shape, the quilt backing should still be a rectangle.
BE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO SELVAGES IN SEAMS. Verify that no seams contain a fabric selvage (the very edges of a width of fabric on the bolt). In seams, these will draw up differently than the rest of the fabric and cause problems during the quilting process.
APPLIQUÉS SHOULD BE SECURE. Appliqués can be fused or stitched according to your preferences, but they must be secured to the quilt top.
TRIM STRAY THREADS. Before sending the quilt top to me, make sure all stray threads are removed or clipped from the front and the back. Especially with light fabrics next to dark fabrics, sometimes the dark threads will “ghost” and show through after quilting and are very difficult to remove later.
PLEASE LABEL WHICH EDGE OF THE QUILT IS THE TOP. This is especially important if the quilting will be directional. I don’t want the quilting motifs to end up sideways on your quilt!
BACKING SHOULD BE A RECTANGLE WITH STRAIGHT EDGES. It is very difficult to load an irregular shaped backing onto the frame and keep it aligned.
PIECED BACKINGS ARE FINE, as long as seams are pressed well, do not have selvages in them, and are backstitched at the edges. I will do my best to align pieced backings but I cannot guarantee perfection.
AVOID SYMMETRY IN PIECED QUILT BACKINGS. Because I cannot guarantee that backing motifs will line up perfectly with motifs on the quilt top, I strongly recommend against creating quilt backings with this expectation. This approach is better suited for quilting done on domestic or sit-down machines using pin-basting or spray basting methods.
QUILT BACKING SHOULD EXTEND AT LEAST 5″ BEYOND QUILT TOP ON ALL SIDES. This means that for a quilt top that is 60″x72″, the backing should be at least 70″x82″. For quilts that will have custom rulerwork, I need additional overage but we will communicate before the quilt is brought to me.
DO NOT LAYER YOUR QUILT, BATTING, AND BACKING. They will be loaded onto my frame one at a time.
BRING YOUR QUILT AND BACKING IN A CLOSED BAG [OR COVERED ON A HANGER], LABELED WITH YOUR NAME. I do keep our cats away from customer quilts when they are on the frame, but covering your project will give it an additional barrier as it waits for quilting and again as it waits for pickup.
REGARDING BATTING. I can use batting you provide when you bring the quilt top and backing, or you can purchase 96″ wide Quilter’s Dream 80/20 from me at $13.50 per yard. For quilts larger than 90″x90″, you will need to supply the batting when you drop off your quilt.
