So your Quilt Top is Ready for Quilting: Here is What You Need to Know:

Here are some great tips to help make preparing your quilt top a breeze! 

Preparing Your Top for Quilting

Choosing the Right Thread

Preparing Your Quilt Top to be Long-Arm Quilted

• No need to baste your quilt together into a sandwich! Yeah! (never was my favourite part)
• Try to iron out the wrinkles on both your top and backing as best you can.
• Whenever possible (unless they are on the edges of the backing) please cut off the selvedges. It just makes for a smoother, less bulky quilt if you do.
• Try to cut as many of the stray threads on the quilt top as possible, especially if your quilt top is a light colour! Those pesky threads will show through once quilted. Not always the look you want to go for!
• Place a safety pin in the top left-hand corner of both the top and backing fabric. Makes it easy to pick out how to pin the quilt on the frame.
• Backing fabric and batting should be at least 3 to 4 inches larger all the way around, than the quilt top. I can get away with less on the sides however since the quilt is pinned on both the top and the bottom to the frame I need extra fabric to work with.
• If your quilt top doesn’t have borders make sure you staystitch all around the top. Nothing worse than trying to bind a top that has seams that have popped open during quilting.

Note: Hey just a quick note here. I will do my best to quilt in any excess fullness from blocks and borders, however, I am not a miracle worker so may not be able to completely get a quilt top flat. I usually can tell upfront though when I am looking at a quilt and will contact you right away if I find anything that needs to be discussed during the quilting process.

Choosing the Right Thread