FAQ
Quilting is stitching that holds together a quilt top, batting, and a quilt backing. Longarm quilting uses a frame to support the quilt and a large sewing machine sew the layers.
What is edge to edge quilting?
Edge to edge quilting is a quilting pattern that is continuous from left side of the quilt to the right. The pattern repeats vertically until the entire quilt is covered.
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What do I need to do to prepare my quilt for longarm quilting?
The quilt should lay flat and be square. Attaching borders properly (Measuring for Borders) will help with the quilt top that was not completely square to lay flat (this may not be effective enough for tops that have too much of a variance in the measurements between middle, top and bottom). Once the borders have been sewn in, they should not have any extra fullness.
The backing must be square so that when it is attached to the longarm rollers the quilt travels evenly from the front to the take-up roller.
All selvages must be removed from the backing, whether it is pieced or not (same applies to the top). Leaving the selvage on will not allow the backing to lay flat.
Backing and batting must be at least 8 inches wider and longer than quilt top.
Do not baste or pin the three layers together.
If your quilt top has a particular direction, apply a safety pin to the top. Likewise, if the back has a particular direction, apply a safety pin to the top.
Why do you need at least 8 extra inches of back and batting material?
Once loaded onto the quilting frame the quilt is held in the quilting frame by the front roller bar and the take-up roller bar. It is also necessary during quilting to secure the fabric on the side so the fabric is held tightly enough. This helps to assure that we don’t have any creases or a pucker in the back. If there is not enough extra material, the machine will not “reach” to the edges of your quilt, as the rollers and clamps will be in its way. So make sure there is an additional 4″ to each side of the backing (or 8″ inches wider and longer than the quilt top).