Preparing Your Quilt for Longarm Quilting

It is important to apply borders squarely. If borders, longer than the top, are attached without accurate measurement, the top will not lay flat. Pleats and puckers may develop during the quilting process.


To apply borders:

Measure your pieced top (before the borders are added). Lay your top out on a flat surface and measure at least three different places across the width and length.

• If these measurements are not equal, calculate the average measurement, and use this result to cut the borders.

• Apply the border to the quilt top evenly.

• Fullness and/or puckers within a border cannot be quilted out. We try our best to work in some 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.

• Tip:  Attaching borders beginning in the center and sewing towards the edges solves many fullness issues. 

• Please make sure all seams are secure and threads are clipped. Unclipped threads can show through lighter fabrics.

• Press seam allowances to leave the least bulk at the seams.

• Press your quilt top.

• Please do not layer top, batting, and backing. They are loaded on the quilting machine as separate layers.

Quilt Back:

• Cut off any selvage edges before stitching the seam, use at least a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave the selvage edges on outside edges of the quilt backing.

• Size of the back: must be at least 8" wider on each side, top and bottom, than your quilt top. A total of 16" larger than your quilt top.

• Trim the top and bottom edges of your backing so they are straight and square. 

• Press your backing.