Getting Ready for Your Quilt’s Finish

I view every quilt as a labor of love. My goal is to take your beautiful piecing and give it the perfect professional finish. To help me treat your quilt with the care it deserves, here are some simple tips to get your project "frame-ready."

A decorative, symmetrical brown floral pattern with white petal-like accents.
Illustration of a thread with a needle, showing the thread being pulled through the fabric by the needle's eye.
A close-up of a patchwork quilt with floral and leaf patterns, stitched with decorative quilting lines, long arm quilted in Marblehead MAquilted

Give It a Little Love (Prep)

Before you drop off your project, take a moment for a final "check-in."

  • Pressing: Make sure your quilt top and back are pressed flat, with seams lying neatly.

  • Trim & Tidy: Clip those little stray threads from the back and front of your quilt top—especially if you have dark threads showing through light fabric.

  • Victory Lap: If your quilt top doesn't have a border, sew a 1/8" seam around the edge to keep your work secure while it’s on the frame.

The Golden Rule of Backing & Batting

Because my longarm machine uses a frame to hold your quilt perfectly flat, I need a little "extra" fabric to work with.

  • The Magic Number: Make sure your backing and batting are at least 8 inches wider and 8 inches longer than your quilt top (that’s 4 inches of extra room on every side).

  • Backing Seams: If you’re piecing your backing, pressing those seams open helps keep the quilt smooth and prevents bulky spots. Also, please trim off the selvage edges, as they don't stretch quite like the rest of the fabric.

  • Marking the Top: If your backing has a "this way up" print, just pin a little note that says "TOP"—I want to make sure the orientation is exactly how you envisioned it!

Keep It Separate

There is no need to pin-baste or spray-baste your layers together. In fact, it’s best if you keep them as three separate pieces. I will load them individually onto my machine to ensure every layer is perfectly square and tensioned.

Let's Talk!

Every quilt is unique, and I love hearing the story behind your projects. If you have any concerns—like a border that’s a little wavy or a fabric that behaves differently—just let me know. There’s almost always a creative way to work through it, and I’m happy to help you select a design that makes your quilt shine.

Final Checklist:

  • Top pressed and thread ends trimmed.

  • Backing and batting measured (4" extra on all four sides) and edges are straight.

  • Selvages removed from backing.

  • "TOP" clearly marked on both quilt and backing (if needed)

  • Layers kept separate (no basting needed!).

A computerized longarm quilting machine sewing a floral quilt with a yellow border.
Stacked small transparent plastic containers filled with colorful quilting thread bobbins arranged by color. Used in longarm quilting service in Marblehead MA