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Tuesday - Friday

10-4

Quilt Preparation

Proper preparation is imperative for successful machine quilting.
  • Trim all loose threads – this prevents the threads from showing through lighter fabrics.
  • Please make sure all of your seams are secure. We can fix slim seams but it’s easier off the frame.
  • Press quilt top well and fold carefully – we’ll give it a quick press before we machine quilt it.
  • Please do not layer top, batting and backing before shipping.
  • Mark the top edge of quilt top and backing with a safety pin if directional.
  • Apply your borders correctly. If the borders are longer that the top and applied without proper and accurate measuring, the top will not lay flat. Pleats and puckers will develop during the quilting process – we will do our best to ease in the fullness and have several technics to make your quilt look better coming off the frame than going on.
To apply borders correctly:
  • Measure your pieced top (before borders); lay your top out on a flat surface and measure at three different places across the width. Fix any discrepancies over 1″ – square your top ( 90 degree corners)
  • If these measurements are not equal, calculate the average and use this measurement to cut your width pieces.
  • Apply top and bottom border to quilt evenly, and then repeat the same procedure for the side borders measuring from top to bottom.
  • Fullness and / or puckers within a border cannot be quilted out. I will do my best work in the fullness, but cannot guarantee that puckers and tucks will not be sewn in. Just remember, the flatter your quilt top lays, the better your finished quilt will look.
Backing
  • The backing must be at least eight (8) inches bigger than the quilt top in length and width.
  • Press your backing well and fold carefully before shipping.
  • Non-pieced backing is ideal; however, this is not always possible.
  • Cut off any selvage edges before stitching the seam. Use at least a 1/2 inch seam allowance on the inside seam
  • You can leave the selvage edges on the outside edges.
  • If backing is not large enough – please check out our selection of wide backing.
  • Square up the backing – we can help you do this if necessary.
  • If you have a pieced block, perfect centering is not possible as I can’t see that back of the quilt once loaded. Please indicate the part of the back that you would like to show the most.