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HOW TO PREPARE YOUR QUILT FOR LONGARM QUILTING

Do not baste your quilt!

QUILT TOP - For Uniform Blocks & a Flat Top

1. Pre-wash your fabric

   • Natural fibers shrink, some more than others. Ask yourself, do you want the fabrics in your pieced and appliquéd quilts to shrink at different rates when your quilts are washed?
   • Dye running is not a huge issue today with the use of Synthrapol as it keeps loose dye particles suspended in the wash water so dyes don't bleed into other areas. However, new batiks, imported fabrics and many dark fabrics may continue to bleed following a simple wash.
   • New fabrics contain formaldehydes, dyes and oils that can rub off on your hands. If you have allergies, washing is especially important. See How to Wash Cotton Fabrics.

2. Cut all your pieces with an exact 1/4-inch seam allowance. When piecing, make sure you evenly line up the edges of your pieces and stitch a consistent scant 1/4-inch seam. Do not work on more than one sewing machine on a single quilt. Check and double-check your seams. If the tension on your sewing machine is off or your hand stitching is loose or you haven't secured a seam, when the quilt is loaded onto the machine, a hole may show up. There is little we can do at that point; we may be able to carefully quilt over the area to minimize the hole. Neither of us wants that to happen.

3. Square up all blocks before sashing or sewing them together. If your blocks are meant to be the same size, be sure to trim them the same size. Blocks that are not square or are different sizes and forced together will not lie flat causing some blocks to be puffy once quilted.

4. After the body of your quilt top has been pieced and pressed, borders need to be applied so that your quilt top lies flat and is square. See Making and Attaching Borders.

5. Clip any loose threads from your quilt. Trailing threads on the under-side of your top may show through, especially in light-colored areas

6. The top needs to be gently pressed with seams lying flat. This is especially important for stitching in the ditch. Be careful not to stretch as you press. See Pressing.

7. If your quilt has a top edge, please identify it with a safety pin so designs are oriented correctly.

8. If the outside edge of your quilt top has bias edges or pieced seams, carefully stay-stitch 1/4-inch from the edge of the entire top to prevent stretching and to prevent stitching from coming undone.

9. Do not embellish until after the quilting process.

10. In consideration for our other clients please use a sticky tape lint roller to remove any pet hairs from the front and back of your quilt top. If you are a smoker, please hang your quilt top and back outside to air.

11. Do not pin or baste.

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