Here are some tips for prepping your quilt top for long arming along with information about batting and backing including how much is needed and some helpful hints.

One important thing to know is you do not have to pin or baste your top, batting, and backing together.

Preparing Your Quilt Top

Here are some tips to help best prepare your quilt top to be long armed.

• Spread out your quilt top and make sure it lays flat. The flatter it lays, the better the end results.
• Trim loose threads on the front and back of your quilt top and also any “dog ears” or uneven edges.
• Check to make sure there aren’t any open seams or anything else that may interfere with the quilt being long armed.
• Check for stains or other things you will want to point out or address before long arming.
• Iron your entire quilt top one last time.

Preparing Your Batting

You can supply your own batting or get it from me. I carry Warn and Natural, Warm and White, Hobbs 80/20, and Quilter’s Dream Washable Wool. If you supply your own batting, here is what you need to know:

• Your batting should measure at least 6 inches wider and longer than your quilt top. If you think your batting is too big, don’t trim it! Bring it to me and let me trim it if necessary.
• Make sure your batting is clean and not stretched out or misshaped.
• If you need to piece your batting, your best bet for avoiding extra bumpiness is to using batting tape or butt up the edges and zig-zag them together.

Preparing Your Quilt Back

I am happy to work with whatever backing you provide – anything from a wide back to completely pieced backing. When it comes to positioning your quilt top on your backing, I usually try to position it so you get back the biggest scraps of backing fabric. If you have specific expectations when it comes to placement, please let me know!

When it comes to your backing, here is the info you need:

• Your backing should be at least 8-inches wider and longer than your top. If you think your backing is too big, don’t trim it. Bring it to me and I will trim it when I load it on the long arm if necessary.
• If you piece your backing along the selvage edges, make the seam wide enough so you can clip off the selvage. The selvages are woven more tightly than the rest of the fabric and have very little stretch which may cause some unusual shifting and puckering along the seam while it is being long armed.
• If you bring in a back that is heavily pieced, please know I will do my best to meet your expectations as far as back placement goes. When a back is heavily pieced, sometimes, no matter how much I measure and manipulate, I cannot control stretch, fabric movement, and take-up that occurs naturally during the quilting process.
• If you piece your quilt back using a variety of fabrics, try to avoid thin strips that will end up along an edge or opposite edges. Despite centering a quilt top on the back when we start the long arm process, there is a good chance a quilt will not stay perfectly centered throughout the entire process. Because of this, if there are thin strips along an edge, it can look uneven from one end to the other. Large strips will not show this shifting as much.
• Iron any seams open or to one side and press your backing to remove creases and wrinkles.

Thank you for your business and feel free to reach out with any questions!