How to Prepare your Top for Quilting

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Before shipping your quilt, you will need to do the following:

· Clip all the trailing threads from both the front and back of the top 
· Remove selvedges before seaming backing. 
 · Press the completed quilt top & backing well from the front side
 · Check seams that meet the edge, backstitch if needed. If your borders are too short for the center of the quilt I can only pull the quilt as tight as the borders will allow. If the borders are too long for the quilt center, they WILL "wave". I can not 'quilt in' the fullness or stretch the quilt without puckers or pleats.
· Square both your top and the backing, backing needs to be at least 8 inches longer and wider than your quilt (after they have been squared) Ask me about the wide backing fabrics & batting I carry or recommend.
 · Keep quilt top, back, and batting separate, don't pin together. 
 · Remember to include one yard of fabric if you want me to bind the quilt. Any unused materials will be returned to you with your quilt.

Straight Talk
Your quilt top will be quilted in the condition it is received. If it is a crumpled mess when it is stuffed into the box, you will get back a neatly folded quilted crumpled mess! If your quilt top will not lay flat, it will not quilt flat either. If there are puckers already in your piecing, they will still be there after quilting.  
Sheets do not make good backing, they are much tighter woven than quilters cottons and tend to grab the needle which causes irregular stitches.