Guidelines to follow in preparing your quilt for your Longarmer

The Backing

1. The backing must be 4" larger on all four sides of the quilt.

2. If you are piecing your backing, cut off the selvage first, then piece with a .5" seam and press it open. Also backstitch your seams on your backing.
The selvage has no give, the rest of your fabric has some give. If the selvage is left on, that seam will be tighter than the rest of the backing.

3. Make sure your backing is straight and on grain.

4. If you are buying 108" wide fabric, be sure to purchase enough to allow for squaring up.

5. Mark the top of the backing with a note.

The Top

1. Press your top well. If I have to press it, there will be a $10 charge.

2. All outside edge seams should be backstitched to prevent them from pulling apart when put on the longarm. If that is not possible because of the quilt design, then stitch all around your quilt 1/8" from the edge.
Tip: When piecing your quilt, adjust your stitch length to 2.0 for piecing. A tighter stitch is less likely to pull apart.

3. Trim your threads on the wrong side of the quilt. Dark threads will show through light fabrics.

4. Mark the top of your quilt with a note.

The Batting

1. The batting should also be larger than the quilt by 4" on all sides.

2. Know the end result your batting selection will give you so you are happy with the final product.

3. I have Warm and White & Warm and Natural Cotton on the bolt for $16 per yard.  I also have Warm and Natural Poly batting priced at $12 per yard.

4. If there are other battings you would like to use, I will consider getting them on the bolt for you to purchase. Let me know.

Wavy Borders

If you find you have wavy borders, this is a problem for both of us. I have to work very hard to get our borders to look great without tucks. For $20, you may take a mini lesson on how to put your borders on so that they lay flat. I will give you a $20 refund on the next quilt I quilt for you if you take this mini lesson. You may actually bring a quilt to my studio and put the borders on under my supervision. You do not need to bring a sewing machine or tools, I will provide those. Just make an appointment when you are ready.

Bindings

I will also be happy to complete your binding for you.