Preparing Your Quilt for the Longarmer
Backing:
- The backing piece should be a minimum of 4-5 inches bigger all around than the top. That is 4-5" on each side. If your quilt measures 80x80" then the the backing & batting should be 88x88 or 90x90. The backing & batting must the be same size as each other. This enables the quilter to attach any clamps or pins to the sides of the backing (eliminating any tucks or wrinkles) without stretching the quilt top. The extra inches on the top and bottom of the backing allow the quilter to attach it to the leaders on the rollers.
- If the backing requires a seam, it should be pressed open. The seam needs to run horizontally on the quilt. If the seam is made along the selvage, be sure to make the seam wide enough to cut off all selvage as this will not stretch like the rest of the fabric. Also, be sure to press all wrinkles or folds of the backing.
- The backing piece should be squared all around, since you don’t know which way the quilter will choose to load the backing.
Batting:
- Batting needs to be the same size as the quilt backing – this allows the quilter to position the batting evenly on the backing.
- If your quilter doesn’t mind a seam in the batting, all edges must be cut straight, butted together and zig-zagged together evenly – without producing any puckers or tucks.
Top:
- All seams on the top must be pressed evenly and as flat as possible.
- Snip thread tails as these could possibly show through after the quilting has been done.
- If the top does not have a border, be sure all seams are backstitched OR stay stitch all around the top less than ¼ inch from the edge.
- When applying the border, it can be stretched ever so slightly as it is sewn on to the quilt.
- How well the quilting is done depends on how well the quilt is pieced.
Click on the link below to download this file as a Word Document
- The backing piece should be a minimum of 4-5 inches bigger all around than the top. That is 4-5" on each side. If your quilt measures 80x80" then the the backing & batting should be 88x88 or 90x90. The backing & batting must the be same size as each other. This enables the quilter to attach any clamps or pins to the sides of the backing (eliminating any tucks or wrinkles) without stretching the quilt top. The extra inches on the top and bottom of the backing allow the quilter to attach it to the leaders on the rollers.
- If the backing requires a seam, it should be pressed open. The seam needs to run horizontally on the quilt. If the seam is made along the selvage, be sure to make the seam wide enough to cut off all selvage as this will not stretch like the rest of the fabric. Also, be sure to press all wrinkles or folds of the backing.
- The backing piece should be squared all around, since you don’t know which way the quilter will choose to load the backing.
Batting:
- Batting needs to be the same size as the quilt backing – this allows the quilter to position the batting evenly on the backing.
- If your quilter doesn’t mind a seam in the batting, all edges must be cut straight, butted together and zig-zagged together evenly – without producing any puckers or tucks.
Top:
- All seams on the top must be pressed evenly and as flat as possible.
- Snip thread tails as these could possibly show through after the quilting has been done.
- If the top does not have a border, be sure all seams are backstitched OR stay stitch all around the top less than ¼ inch from the edge.
- When applying the border, it can be stretched ever so slightly as it is sewn on to the quilt.
- How well the quilting is done depends on how well the quilt is pieced.
Click on the link below to download this file as a Word Document
| preparing_your_quilt_for_the_long_arm_quilter.doc |