If you are piecing your backing, horizontal seams are better than vertical seams, because of how the quilt is loaded on the rollers. Mark the center of your backing at the top and bottom with safety pins. ~John Wayne. More info to come about our grand re-opening in the spring! It’s one thing for the quilter to press out folds that happened in shipping, quite another to completely press an entire quilt top and backing again. Hello California! Blog, 1 Roll 2.5" Ombré or Print Strips (Jelly Roll), 4 yds. [otw_shortcode_content_toggle opened=”closed” title=”Adding Borders”], [/otw_shortcode_content_toggle] Off-set this seam to one side, or better yet, piece the backing so that you have extra on both sides and a larger piece in the center. If this is your first visit to the Missouri Star Quilt Co's "Quilter's Forum", be sure to However, if your backing is scrappy, normal 1/4″ quilt seams are fine. It's easy to make quilt backing, and the backing layer can be created from either regular quilting cotton or wide panels of fabric made especially for the task. Try not to have a vertical seam running right down the center of the quilt. However, a good longarmer should/can load the quilt sideways and the vertical seam would then become horizontal, and it's less passes he/ she has to make with the machine. If your quilt is more than 40 inches wide, you’re either going to have to buy a wide backing fabric or you’re going to have to seam your standard fabric to create the necessary width. Our in-town shops, education center, and retreat center are closed until spring 2021. |, Together we can make it - one stitch at a time. For the top and bottom borders, measure the width of the quilt at the center. Some quilters have a limited selection of wide quilt backs for you to choose from, or you can order them online. : 866-439-6681 Fold the quilt in half and mark the center of each side with a pin. It will have an all over quilting done on the top. Whether or not you choose to send your quilts to me for finishing, I hope that you will find these tips helpful. This will make your feed dogs do the work of easing in the extra fabric, without puckers or pleats. You don’t want that! This experience should be a partnership between you and your quilter, so if you don’t know something or aren’t sure, please ask! Remove selvage edges before piecing (unless the selvages are on the outside edge). If your quilt top has embroidery, applique, or folded fabric techniques such as prairie points or pleats, be sure to let your quilter know whether it is OK to quilt over them when you discuss the quilt design. Before adding borders to your quilt, give the top a good pressing before measuring for borders. Repeat all the same steps as you did for the side borders – measuring the quilt in two more places, determining whether you can ease the difference or need to adjust the seams, pinning the borders to the quilt, and stitching with the longer side toward the feed dogs. Quilting is my passion . Every long arm quilter will have slightly different requirements for preparing quilts to be loaded on their machines. ~Ralph Hall. No print/patterns to worry about but wondering what would be better visually. To add straight borders to your quilt, lay your quilt on a flat surface, and measure the length of the quilt at the center. Make sure you discuss with your quilter whether or not you want them to trim off the excess batting & backing before sending it back to you (I don’t unless asked.) Also, many quilters charge extra for performing these services for you, so you can often save money by doing some simple preparation in advance. [otw_shortcode_content_toggle opened=”closed” title=”Thread”], [/otw_shortcode_content_toggle] Together we will make it - one stitch at a time. If your top does not have a border or the border is completely pieced, you could also baste around the entire perimeter of the quilt. I use Superior Threads almost exclusively, but I also use YLI threads on occasions when I need a particular color match. Tutorials, Missouri Star Stay-stitch seams that are on the edge of your quilt. Backing Fabric - Horizontal Seam(s) or 5 yds. Your quilt top will be stretched and rolled when it is loaded on the machine, and you don’t want those seams coming apart in the process. To stitch the borders onto the quilt, you want whichever side had the longer length to be directly on top of your feed dogs. Today, get free standard domestic shipping (enjoy $5 off all other shipping methods). Plan seams of backing so that the back can be mounted on the quilting machine with the selvage (least stretchy or finished edge) perpendicular to the rollers. Quilting on a long arm frame is very different from quilting on a domestic machine, and as a result, you’ll find that there are many additional steps and watch-outs for you to prepare successfully.