How to Prepare a Quilt for Longarm Quilting

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From initial preparation to the finishing touches, we’re here to help you succeed. Our simple how to prepare a quilt for longarm quilting guide can make the entire sewing process easier.

Quilt Preparation

  • Give your quilt a good pressing on the top to flatten all seams and remove wrinkles. Make sure there are no open seams, pleats, or deep folds on your quilt top.
  • Cut away all loose threads to prevent them from “shadowing” through your quilt top. This is especially important for dark threads on white or light-colored squares.
  • Square your backing fabric so that it has 90-degree corners and straight sides.
  • When joining 2 pieces of fabric to make a backing, first stitch a 1″ seam, including the selvages.  Trim to 1/2″ to remove selvages from the middle of the backing. Selvages may be left along the sides.
  • Backing and batting must be at least 10 inches longer and wider than the quilt top.
  • Do not pin or baste backing, batting, and top together. We cannot accept quilts that have been spray basted, as the spray gums up our machines.

Try to ensure your quilt top is flat and square when it is delivered for longarm quilting service. Some ripples and wavy borders cannot be corrected in the quilting process.

Adding Borders

  • The best way to attach borders is to measure the length in three places – through the center of the quilt and halfway between center and the edge on both sides of that center line.
  • Take the average of those measurements and cut both left and right borders to this average measurement.
  • Pin the borders to your quilt, placing pins first at the ends, centers, and 1/4 and 3/4 measurements. Add more pins as necessary to ease in excess fabric. This will ensure that you have flat, not wavy borders.
  • If you have too much wave in your quilt top and borders, the fullness can’t be quilted out, resulting in tucks and pleats in your quilt.
  • Do the same for your top and bottom borders.
  • If your quilt top lays flat, your finished quilt will also be flat.

We hope this how to prepare a quilt for longarm quilting guide gives you the confidence you need to begin. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a ring—we’d love to get involved. For in-depth guidance and help getting started with longarm quilting, sign up for our upcoming Longarm Quilting 101 class.