Prepping your quilt

 

Quilt Top

It is important to apply your borders squarely. If the border is longer than the top or put on without accurate measurements, the top will not lie flat. Pleats and puckers may develop during the quilting process

To apply borders:

Before the borders are added, lie your top out on a flat surface and measure at least three different places across the width and length.

If these measurements are not equal, calculate the average measurement and use this result to cut the borders.

Apply the border to the quilt top evenly.

Fullness and/or puckers within a border cannot be quilted out. We try our best to work in some fullness, but cannot guarantee that puckers and tucks will not be sewn in. Just remember, the flatter your quilt top lies, the better your finished quilt will look.

Please make sure all your seams are secure and your threads are clipped. Unclipped threads can show through lighter fabrics.

Press seam allowances to leave the least bulk at the seams.

Press your quilt top and hang on a pants hanger.

Mark the top edge of your quilt top with a safety pin.

Please do not layer top, batting, and backing. They are loaded on the quilting machine as separate layers.

*If there is no border, please stay stitch around the outside edge of your quilt top.


Quilt back

Cut off any selvage edges before stitching the seam, use at least a 1/2" seam allowance and press seam open.  You may leave the selvage edges on outside edges of the quilt backing only.

Size of the back: must be at least 5-6" wider on each side, top and bottom, than your quilt top. A total of 10-12" larger than your quilt top. If your back is too small, it can not be mounted and quilted on my machine. For a fee I can add strips to make your back large enough.

Trim the top and bottom edges of your backing so they are straight and square. This ensures the quilt loads onto the machine straight; this is important for keeping the design square on your top.

Press your backing and hang on a pants hanger.

Mark the top edge of your quilt back with a safety pin.