How to prepare your quilt for longarming:

  1. Stabilize the Quilt top: Baste 1/4 to 1/8 inch from the outer edge to help keep the seams in place while transporting
  2. Clip threads: trim any loose threads, especially if the top has light colored fabrics which threads may show through
  3. Square it up: Make sure your quilt top is square and even on all sides (this will help to be sure it is loaded on the longarm evenly)
  4. Choose your batting: Batting choices are variable. Will this quilt be washed a lot? Is it a show quilt? Is it made from dark colored fabrics? I stock Hobbs 80/20 batting. If you prefer a different batting, please provide your own. However, batting is included in the cost of the quilting.
  5. Prepare the backing: You can purchase 108 to 110 inch fabrics to back with, or you can piece your backing. If you piece, please try to make the seams horizontal and give yourself a 1/2 inch seam allowance pressed open.
  6. Backing and Batting need to be 8-10 inches wider than the quilt top. I need a minimum of 4 inches at top and bottom and sides to mount the backing and batting to my machine.
  7. Chat with me about your quilt: Lets have coffee, talk about how it will be used, is it for a guest room, or a child’s room? Is it a wall hanging? We can decide together how to best quilt it and what tools to use.
  8. Binding: I do offer a variety of binding services.