Quilt Top :
It is important to apply your borders squarely. If borders longer than the top are put on without accurate measurement, the top will not lay flat. Pleats and puckers may develop during the quilting process.
To apply borders:
Quilt Back:
It is important to apply your borders squarely. If borders longer than the top are put on without accurate measurement, the top will not lay flat. Pleats and puckers may develop during the quilting process.
To apply borders:
- Measure your pieced top (before the borders are added). Lay your top out on a flat surface and measure at least three different places across the width and length.
- If these measurements are not equal, calculate the average measurement and use this result to cut the borders.
- Apply the border to the quilt top evenly.
- Fullness and/or puckers within a border cannot be quilted out. We try our best to work in some fullness, but cannot guarantee that puckers and tucks will not be sewn in. Just remember, the flatter your quilt top lays, the better your finished quilt will look.
- Please make sure all your seams are secure and your threads are clipped. Unclipped threads can show through lighter fabrics.
- Press seam allowances to leave the least bulk at the seams.
- Press your quilt top.
- Mark the top edge of your quilt top with a safety pin.
- Please do not layer top, batting and backing. They are loaded on the quilting machine as separate layers.
Quilt Back:
- Cut off any selvage edges before stitching the seam, use at least a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave the selvage edges on outside edges of the quilt backing.
- Size of the back: must be at least 4-6" wider on each side, top and bottom, than your quilt top. A total of 8-10" larger than your quilt top.
- Trim the top and bottom edges of your backing so they are straight and square. This ensures the quilt loads onto the machine straight; this is important for keeping the design square on your top.
- Press your backing.
- If you purchase wide backing fabric, I strongly suggest you purchase at lease 1/3 yard more that the needed around. Wide back fabric is very difficult for manufacturers to load evenly on bolts so it tends to come off that way. Unless your quilt store rips rather than cuts your back in all likelihood will not be square. I've had to take as much as 12" per non-selvage side. You will see from the photo on the right what I'm referring to. This backing actually wasn't too bad, it was only about 3" off.