Tips
Quilt Preparation
Even though you may find this document on several of our pages, we thought it would be a good idea to locate it in the Tips and Tricks also. This document provides guidelines for preparing your quilt for quilting. Many longarm quilters follow these guidelines; however, always check with your quilter for his/her preference.
Click here for Quilt Preparation GuidelinesTips for a Terrific Looking Quilt
- Fantastic Fabric
High quality fabric lasts longer and results in a sturdier quilt.
- Careful Cutting
Use sharp cutters, accurate rulers and, remember, “measure twice, cut once”.
- Precise Piecing
Accurate and consistent seam allowance is important. A bit under or over ¼” is not as important as consistency. Your blocks will go together best if your seam allowances are consistent.
- Perfect Pressing
Sew, press; sew, press. Press as you go. Your quilt top will be flatter and more even when you press as you go. Do not save all your ironing for the end.
- Beautiful Borders
Pieced or plain – it does not matter. Measure your quilt through the center and not along the edges for a proper length border.
- Happy Endings
After you have cut, pieced, pressed and added borders, finish the quilt top with a scan ¼” stay stitch all the way around. This line of stitching prevents stretching along the outside edge of your beautiful quilt top.
Repeat all the above steps for a fabulous quilt back! You will be glad you did.
Some Definitions
Applique is the process of sewing one or more smaller pieces of fabric onto a larger background by hand or machine.
Borders frame the blocks of your quilting project. Borders may be strips of fabric or a pieced pattern.
Grain is the way threads are arranged in a piece of fabric.
Sashing is strips of or pieced fabric that go between the blocks of your project. Sashing may be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
Selvage is a tightly woven edge that runs along both outermost edges of a fabric's lengthwise grain. Selvage edges keep the fabric from fraying.
