Preparing your quilt

In order for the best possible finished outcome, some work can be done to prepare your quilt before bringing it to me.

Press all your seams carefully. It is preferable to press them closed to one side, however you press them though, make sure that it is consistent from one end to the other. Seams that flip over halfway through will show as a bump in the finished quilt. If possible, press seams to the darker fabric otherwise you will get shadowing through light or white fabrics.

Keep all your seam allowances even for a square finished top.

Attach borders using the correct method. Measure the length through the middle of the quilt, and ease the border to fit with pinning. Outer edges of quilts can stretch and adding a border to that magnifies the excess fabric. This causes borders to have extra fullness which may result in unavoidable pleats or tucks in the quilting.

Always trim any loose threads from the front of your quilt top, both for aesthetic reasons and because it is possible for the machine foot to snag on them and possibly damage your seam. Trim all loose threads if possible from the back of your quilt top. These will show up under light fabrics.

If you need to piece your backing, use a 1/2 inch seam, pressed open. Remove selvedges from the seam, but you are encouraged to leave them on the outer edges as this helps stabilise the fabric on the backing. Please ensure that your backing is squared up with all corners at 90degrees.

Backing and batting need to be at least 3 or 4″ wider and longer than your top on ALL sides. This allows for the attachment of the quilt to the frame and the necessary movement of the quilting head.

Please make sure your quilt top and backing are pressed and folded carefully for delivery of your quilt. Marking the top of the top and the backing saves time and potential problems when loading onto the machine.

All of these things ensure that your finished quilt is a beautiful work of art and will last for a very long time.