Preparing your Quilt for Machine Quilting

The following instructions will help me to complete your quilt so you will be pleased with the results.

Preparing Your Quilt Top

1. Don't baste your quilt. I need it to arrive at my studio in 3 pieces (1) Your Quilt Top (2) The Backing Fabric (3) The Batting.
2. MOST IMPORTANT make sure the borders of your quilt are flat and square. If the top is too wavy you might like to redo your border to straighten things out. Ask me if you need help. If your borders are too wavy they will pleat when I quilt them.
3. Check your top for open seams. Open seams can get caught in the quilting foot and will often tear the material. I try to watch for this as I go.
4. Clip loose threads from both sides of the quilt top. On lighter fabrics, loose dark threads on the backside will show through.
5. Quilt top should be clean and all seams pressed flat.
There are extra charges for cutting excessive threads - I know the odd one will slip by you however loose threads may catch on the quilting foot tearing surfaces. It is preferable that you do not wash your batting as it will possibly stretch and buckle while I am quilting. If you are afraid of shrinking, the polyester battings give an excellent look and quilt well.

Preparing Your Backing

1. Backing must be a minimum of 4 inches larger than the quilt top on all sides.
2. Wrinkle free and SQUARED.
3. Backings that are pieced must not have selvage edges in the seams, selvage edges have a tendency to pull the fabric tighter and this will result in a puckered backing. I do find better results if the backing seams go horizontal rather than top to bottom on the quilt.
4. If your last border is a pieced one, please put a line of stitches less that a quarter of an inch from the edge. This will insure that the stitches do not come undone when loaded on the machine as the process does stretch the borders a little.