How to Prepare Your Quilt for Longarm Quilting
You’ve put in the time, love, and stitching—now let’s make sure your quilt is longarm-ready! A little prep on the front end helps everything go smoothly and gets you the best possible finish.
1. Measure Your Quilt Top
Before bringing or shipping your quilt, measure your quilt top.
Your backing fabric should be at least 4-8" larger than your quilt top on ALL four sides. That means you’ll want at least 8-16" more in both width and length than your finished quilt top.
2. Mark the Top
Pin a note to both your quilt top and backing clearly marking which end is the top.
This is especially helpful if your quilt design is directional!
3. Press, Trim & Add Your Info
Give your quilt top and backing a good press so everything is nice and flat.
Then:
Snip any loose threads.
Check for bulky seams or areas that may need attention.
Make sure your backing is ready to load.
Please include a note with:
Your name
Phone number and/or email
Return address
Any quilting design ideas you have
Whether you’d like us to help you choose a design
Not sure what quilting design to choose? No worries! That’s what we’re here for. 💜
4. Shipping Your Quilt
If you’re mailing your quilt to us, please place everything inside a plastic bag or waterproof liner before putting it in the shipping box. A clean trash bag works perfectly!
And please tuck a label with your name and address inside the package. If the shipping box gets damaged or separated from its label, they’ll still know exactly where your quilt belongs. We recommend using an Apple tag + getting insurance on it too if it’s coming from across the country.
5. Dropping Off Your Quilt
Bringing your quilt to us in person? Easy peasy!
You can bring it on a hanger or neatly folded in a bag. Just make sure your quilt top, backing, and any additional instructions stay together.
And Then… Let the Quilting Begin! 🎉
Once your quilt is prepped and in our hands, the fun part begins!
We’ll get it loaded, quilted, and one step closer to becoming the finished quilt you’ve been dreaming about.
Get excited - your quilt is officially on its way to being fabulous! ✨
Have questions about preparing your quilt for longarm quilting? Not sure what pantograph or thread color to use? We’re happy to help!
