Prepare Your Quilt

Be sure to press your seams well, both on your quilt top AND your backing.

If your backing requires any seaming, please use a ½” seam, and press it OPEN. Remove selvages from backing seams, since they are not the same weave as the rest of the fabric, and will wear and shrink differently.

If your quilt or backing has a specific orientation, please indicate this with a safety pin at the top center.

Your backing MUST be 4”-5” inches larger than your quilt top on ALL sides. So, if your quilt is 60” x 80”, your backing must be at least 68” x 88”.

Choose your backing with care. Keep in mind the thread color you will want for quilting the top, and remember that color will be on the backing as well.

If you are providing batting for your quilt, it must also be 4”-5” larger than the quilt top, on all sides.

Trim your threads. Do this task not only for the top of the quilt, but also on the back side. Dark threads that manage to stray under light colored piecing may show through.

Please note that charges will be added if your quilt requires extra preparation. These items include pressing, trimming threads, repairing ripped or unsewn seams. The charge is $20/hour.