How to Prepare Your Quilt Top For Your Longarm Quilter

1. When piecing quilt blocks make sure that seam allowances are 1/4”, anything less will cause weak seams and may fall apart when put on the quilting machine. Press all seams.
   
2. When providing the backing and batting each needs to be 4” to 6” larger on all sides of your quilt top. Example: quilt top is 60” X 70” the batting and backing should be 68” X 78”.
   
3. If your backing is pieced, cut off the selvages, or sew it into your 1/2” seam allowance and press seams open. Make sure quilt top and backing are squared up and pressed.
4. Trim and clean off all long threads from the seamed side of the quilt top and backing. This will eliminate any ghosting from colored threads in between the batting and light fabrics. Make sure your seams are secure with 1/4” seam allowances. Making sure that you do the clean-up on the back side of your quilt top and backing fabric will save you money and save me time.
5. Do not baste the three sections together nor pin the quilt together. Do not attach any decorations until after the quilt has been quilted.
6. When sending your quilt place a safety pin on the center edge position of the quilt top. Do the same to the quilt backing. This will eliminate any possibility of your quilt top and backing being put together with the wrong edges. When using directional backing material be sure the pin is in the correct center of how you want your backing fabric to be quilted to the quilt top.
7. Place the following items into a plastic bag that is able to be tied, like an oversized trashbag, and put into a secure box. The plastic bag is to insure things will not get soiled on your quilt during shipping. Put specific information about your order; your name, address, a contact phone number (in case we need to contact you) and payment into an envelope with our address on the front, along with the quilt top, backing and batting into the plastic bag.