• Make sure backing is square & 4-6 inches larger on all sides than the quilt top
• Press backing flat
• If backing is pieced, remove selvage edges before piecing and press the seams open
• Indicate the top edge of your quilt back with a safety pin (somewhere near the middle, we can find the exact center).

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Backing fabric needs to be at least 8-12 inches WIDER and LONGER than the quilt top. This means having 4-6 inches on all sides of the quilt top.You can ADD strips of muslin (or any scrap fabric that you have) to extend the quilt back if your backing fabric isn't big enough or as an additional service we can extend the backing as needed.

Square your quilt backing fabric. Squaring the backing fabric (especially the TOP & BOTTOM EDGES) is necessary for the longarm quilting process.

FOR WIDE BACK FABRICS – please supply at least an additional 12 inches (6 inches all the way around the quilt top). Wide backs can be unevenly wound on the bolt. Backings need to be “squared” to be placed on the longarm quilting frame. The squaring process does trim down the backing piece, and we have found that wide back fabrics often need quite a lot of fabric to be trimmed to square them.

FOR PIECED BACKS - use a 1/2 inch seam and press open.
DO NOT leave the selvage inside the seam (seam allowance). Selvage does not stretch and move, like the rest of the fabric, and may cause puckers if left in the seam. Selvage is good on the outside of the backing, just not good if included in the seam allowance.

Press the backing fabric so it is wrinkle free and any seams lay flat.

Indicate the top edge of your quilt back with a safety pin (somewhere near the middle, we can find the exact center).

We have batting available for purchase in the shop when you come in to quilt.

If you are supplying the batting, it should be 6-8 inches longer and wider than the quilt top (that’s 3-4 inches all the way around).

• Indicate the top edge of your quilt top with a safety pin (again, somewhere near the middle, we can find the exact center).
• Make sure the top is square
• Press the top so it lays flat
• Trim all loose threads
• Check all seams for gaps and loose stitching & repair as needed

• If you would like us to bind your quilt (or attach the binding to the front)  please include the Quilt Binding.
• If you also need us to make the binding for you please include the fabric or choose it when you drop off your quilt.

When we make your binding we'll normally use 2.5" strips of fabric (cut from selvage to selvage) and fold it in half (bringing the cut edges together). This is called double-fold binding tape and it's the sturdiest way to fold binding for quilts. You'll have about a half inch (1/2") of finished binding on both sides of the quilt when it's finished.

To calculate the amount of binding: take the linear length of the quilt (the length of all four sides added together) + 12” (for joining start/finish tails) ÷ 42” (fabric width) x 2.5” (width of binding strips) = inches of fabric yardage required. Don't forget to round up and give yourself some wiggle room.