Preparing Your Quilt

DON'T BASTE

That's right, you get to skip basting!  Send your quilt top and backing without attaching them in any way.  

INSPECT QUILT TOP

• Give your quilt top a thorough inspection.

• If there are stains, please let us know that you are aware of them.

• Trim away loose threads, which can get caught in the quilting becoming more difficult to remove. Dark threads may show through light fabrics.

• Check that seams are well-pressed to prevent them from rolling unattractively during the basting or quilting process.

• Trim all four sides of the quilt straight so that it can be loaded properly on the longarm sewing machine.  Square is even better, but straight will do! If you intend to round your quilt corners, please wait until after the quilting is complete.

• If you have a directional print, identify the top of your quilt with a safety pin. 

BACKING

• Prewash backing fabric, to ensure there is no fabric shrinkage when washing completed quilt.

• Please ensure that backing is 8-10" larger than the quilt top both in width and height.  (For example, a 60" quilt top requires an 68" square backing.  This allows 4" of excess backing all the way around the quilt)

• Consider sending a wide back fabric for your backing.  (If you compare cost for backing with 42" wide fabric vs. 108" wide fabric, the wide backs are generally cheaper too!)

• If you choose to piece backing, take time to sew those long seams carefully.  Cut yardage straight and square before joining segments.  Most importantly, use pins and/or a walking foot to help achieve an even feed. If not, when the backing is loaded onto the longarm, one side sags down while the other side is pulled tight.  

• If you have a directional print, identify the top of your quilt with a safety pin. 

BATTING 

• Batting needs to be at least the same size as the backing material - 8" longer and wider than your quilt top. 

• You can provide batting or purchase it from me (my batting is Warm and White, 124" wide and runs $.55 per linear inch). 

• If you intend to provide your own batting, please be choosy. Low quality or generic batting can be thin and uneven and cause tension problems in quilting. I reserve the right to refuse low quality batting. 

Binding

• If you choose to have us add binding to your quilt, we will  please ensure you have sent enough material. Contact us if you need help determining how much fabric to send. 

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

Just ask!  We're happy to help.  Educating quilters is always preferred to troubleshooting problems in the quilting studio.  We're all learning all the time.  Don't be shy about asking for help.