WHITE FABRIC: Use white thread when sewing quilt top pieces, IF using white or light fabric in your quilt top. This prevents colored thread from showing through on the quilt top.
IF NO BOARDERS: Sew 1/8” inch around quilt top if you are NOT using boarders. This prevents seams from separating at the ends during the longarm quilting.
MISSED STITCHES: Double CHECK seams to make sure there are NO missed stitches. Once the quilt is loaded on the machine it’s difficult if not impossible to repair.
BACKING & BATTING: Cut backing and batting a MINIMUM of 4” INCHES beyond each side of the quilt top. That equals a total of 8” inches LONGER and 8” inches WIDER than the quilt top.
BACKING: When piecing backing together, use a ½” inch allowance and press open. IRON OUT heavy wrinkles and creases.
BATTING: When sewing two pieces of batting together to make one large piece, use a ZIGZAG stitch and overlap batting material 1/4 “ inch. If batting is butt together there is a high chance the batting will separate. If using an iron on tape to assemble batting, follow the provided instructions. Usually, batting is butt together when using tape.
WAVY QUILT/BOARDERS: To minimize a wavy quilt and wavy boarders, square individual pieced blocks before assembling blocks together. If adding boarders to quilt, 1) sewing the two vertical boarders leaving a couple inches at each end; 2) Iron the boarders open; 3) Trim excess material using a quilting square ruler to square up the two boarders. Boarders are to be squared to the quilt. 4) Sew the two horizontal boarders leaving a couple inches at each end. Do not trim excess material until after your quilt has been through the Longarm process.