►Backstitch and secure any seams that go to the edge, especially in pieced outside borders. Make sure there are no seams coming apart in the interior of the quilt top.

►Do NOT baste, tie, sew or partially quilt the quilt top to batting and/or backing. If you intend to have a quilt that is both longarm and hand stitched or tied, it must be longarm stitched first due to the nature of the mounting process on the longarm machines.

►If you prewashed the fabrics in your quilt top, it is highly recommended that you prewash your backing fabric.

►Mark the top of the quilt and the top of the backing with a safety pin. This will help us to make sure we place the top of quilt with the top of backing. Some fabrics are directional and both the top and back need to run in the proper direction.

►Trim all loose threads from back of quilt top so they do not show or migrate through to the quilt top during the quilting process.

►Remove all lint, stray threads, pet hairs, etc.

►If a scalloped edge is planned, it is helpful to leave the quilt top square until after quilted.

►Do not embellish the quilt until after it has been quilted.

►If backing fabric requires a seam, remove the selvage edges and sew seam with a one-half inch vertical seam allowance with seams pressed open.

►Quilt top AND backing should lay flat, be squared up at the corners and straight on all sides.

►Press the quilt top well from the back to make sure the seam allowances are pressed in the proper direction and then press again from the front to make sure that all the seam allowances are pressed fully to the stitching so that there are no folds and the seams lay flat.

►To secure tie-offs on sides of quilts, we start our edge-to-edge patterns slightly off the quilt’s edges.

►All leftover fabric will be returned with the finished quilt.

►A busy backing is always a good choice.

►Backing and batting must be at least 6” longer AND wider than the quilt top.

►Quilts should be clean and free of odors.

► A word about backing fabrics: choose this fabric as carefully as what was taken to select the quilt top fabric. An excellent choice is 100% cotton in a coordinating print to compliment your quilt top. The use of bed sheets is strongly discouraged. If the backing needs to be pieced, use a one-half inch vertical seam (with selvages removed) and seams pressed open. If the back is pieced horizontally, there is no guarantee that the seam will be located in the center of the quilt. Also, if the backing is pieced off grain, there is a potential for the back seam to “wave” on the back.

REMEMBER: the better the quilt top is prepared, the better the finished result will be!