Preparing your quilt for a longarmer
Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:37 am
Here are a few things I can think of off the top of my head...
1. Be careful when applying your borders - please measure from the center and cut your borders according to that measure. Do not just take a long piece of fabric and try just sewing it on. Something is gonna stretch (usually your quilt top) and then your borders will be wavy. Those waves can sometimes be quilted out but often times you will have puckers and or/bulky places in your border.
2. Please remove all pins.
3. Open up your seam intersections using El's method - lowers bulk and keeps the longarm machine happy. Those little bits of bulk could break a needle and that could make a hole in your quilt top.
4. Square off your backing fabric so that all your sides are straight and all your corners are square.
5. Press your backing fabric seams open - again trying to eliminate as much bulk as possible.
6. Provide a backing that is at least 8 inches longer and 8 inches wider than your quilt top. 10 is better, any more is too much.
7. If bringing your own batting, please check with your longarmer beforehand if it is a type that she will work with. There are some that just don't work well with some machines. I, personally, will not put a polyester batt in a quilt that is designed for a child. In case of a fire, polyester doesn't burn, it melts, you can't get out from under it.
8. If your longarmer gives you an approximate date of delivery, please be patient if she doesn't hit that date. If you need your quilt by a certain date, make it very clear when you drop it off.
9. Ask for an estimate but remember that unexpected issues could arise that could increase the cost.
1. Be careful when applying your borders - please measure from the center and cut your borders according to that measure. Do not just take a long piece of fabric and try just sewing it on. Something is gonna stretch (usually your quilt top) and then your borders will be wavy. Those waves can sometimes be quilted out but often times you will have puckers and or/bulky places in your border.
2. Please remove all pins.
3. Open up your seam intersections using El's method - lowers bulk and keeps the longarm machine happy. Those little bits of bulk could break a needle and that could make a hole in your quilt top.
4. Square off your backing fabric so that all your sides are straight and all your corners are square.
5. Press your backing fabric seams open - again trying to eliminate as much bulk as possible.
6. Provide a backing that is at least 8 inches longer and 8 inches wider than your quilt top. 10 is better, any more is too much.
7. If bringing your own batting, please check with your longarmer beforehand if it is a type that she will work with. There are some that just don't work well with some machines. I, personally, will not put a polyester batt in a quilt that is designed for a child. In case of a fire, polyester doesn't burn, it melts, you can't get out from under it.
8. If your longarmer gives you an approximate date of delivery, please be patient if she doesn't hit that date. If you need your quilt by a certain date, make it very clear when you drop it off.
9. Ask for an estimate but remember that unexpected issues could arise that could increase the cost.