How to Prepare a Quilt for Longarm Quilting
I love quilting. If you’re reading this post, you probably love quilting too… I love choosing fabrics, cutting, and piecing. I DO NOT love the quilting step (sorry, not sorry). This is the reason I send my quilts off to my favorite longarm quilter. I get to choose a beautiful edge-to-edge quilting design and in 3-4 weeks I get a perfectly finished quilt back that is ready for binding (another step I love).
If you have never sought the services of a longarm quilter and are curious to know more, then you are in the right place. In this blog post, I will explain the ins and outs of longarm quilting and how to prep your quilt tops for a professional longarm quilter.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
What is longarm quilting?
Longarm quilting uses a large frame and roller bar to load a quilt top, batting, and backing all at once. The longarm frame holds the quilt sandwich in place while the longarm quilting machine moves over the quilt, quilting as it goes. The longer quilting process can be manual (controlled by the quilter) or it can be automated (computerized with a digital design).
Why send your quilt to a longarm quilter?
Pros
- Longarm quilting allows you to choose a fun and detailed quilting design that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do on a small, domestic sewing machine.
- Sending your quilt to a longarm for quilting is a great alternative for those (ahem… me) that don’t enjoy the quilting step.
- Unlike a domestic sewing machine, with a limited throat space, a longarm quilting frame can accommodate an extra large quilt easily.
- You don’t have to worry about batting or basting.
Cons
- Longarm quilting can be costly.
- You may have to wait a few weeks for your quilt to be returned.
Preparing the Quilt Top
Square the Quilt Top
The quilt top should be trimmed and squared as best as you can. I will often do this by spreading my quilt top onto a flat surface and using my longest ruler, a cutting mat, and a rotary cutter, I will trim the edges of the quilt and square the corners. Wavy borders can make loading the quilt top onto the quilting frame more difficult than it needs to be.
Stitch Around the Edge
Something I have recently begun is sewing around the edge of my quilt top with a 1/8″ seam allowance. Previously, I was having issues with seams opening up while handling the finished quilt top, especially if I took the quilt top out for any photos. Sewing a row of stitches around the outside edge of the quilt prevents any seams from opening before it arrives at the longarm quilter. It will also minimize any stretching or warping of your finished quilt top. Because it is only 1/8″ from the edge, these stitches will be well hidden under the binding and not visible on the finished quilt.
Trim Threads
Trimming threads from the back of the pieced quilt top will prevent dark threads from showing through the finished quilt. Using a small pair of scissors (I prefer to use my embroidered scissors), trim any long or loose threads from either the sewing thread or from fraying fabric. This is especially important if you are using light fabric or white fabric since dark stray threads will show through lighter fabrics. If your quilt top is pieced together with dark fabrics, then this is less of a concern.
Don’t forget to trim those threads that poke through on the top.
Press Your Quilt Top
Pressing your seams and the entire quilt top is the most important step when it comes to prepping your quilt top for the longarm quilter. Giving your entire top one final pressing will help your quilter get the best results. Wrinkles and poorly pressed seams can cause all kinds of quilting issues like puckers and folds.
Mark the Top
If your quilt top or backing is directional, make sure to mark the tops of both with a safety pin. This will help your longarm quilter know how to load the quilt top and backing correctly.
Remove any Lint, Hair, or Threads
I suggest lint rolling the front and back of your quilt top. I find that my quilts collect a lot of threads, fuzz, and pet hair (thanks to my Australian Shepherd). This is the final thing I do while I am packing up my quilt top. The best way I have found to do this is to lay your quilt top face down and lint roll the entire back of the quilt top. Next, fold the quilt top in half. Lint roll the half of the quilt that is now facing up. Fold the quilt top in half again, lint rolling the new section facing up. Continue until the quilt top is neatly folded and ready to be packaged.
Preparing the Quilt Back
How much backing do you need?
Most longarm quilters require backing fabric to be 4″ larger than your quilt top on all sides. So if your quilt top is 71″ x 71″ (like this Happy Camper quilt), then your backing piece needs to be 79″ x 79″ MINIMUM. If I have enough fabric, I try to give an extra 1″ – 2″ so I have a little wiggle room for trimming and squaring.
How to Piece Backing
Unless you are sending a baby quilt that only requires 42″ wide backing or you are using a wide back fabric, then chances are you are going to need to piece together your backing fabric. Wide backs are typically 108″ wide. To piece together the backing fabric, cut your yardage in half to make two long rectangles. If you are using a print, make sure the two pieces of fabric are oriented in the same direction before sewing them together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance (rather than the standard 1/4″). Trim your seam allowance, making sure to remove the selvage edges, and press your backing seams open.
Square the Quilt Back
The squaring process for quilt backing is similar to quilting the quilt top. Just make sure the edges of both halves are cut evenly and they are all parallel/perpendicular to each other.
Quilt Batting
You can provide your own batting, but a professional longarm quilter will have batting available for purchase, so all you need to send is your quilt top and the quilt backing fabric. If you do want to provide your own batting, it needs to be the same minimum dimensions as the backing (at least 4″ larger than your quilt top on all sides). I would recommend letting your quilter supply the batting. Typically, it is less expensive and you know they will have high-quality batting. Sending low-quality batting with your quilt top and backing can cause problems for the quilter and cause a less-than-perfect finished quilt.
Pantographs
What is a pantograph?
A quilt pantograph is a repeating pattern that is digitized and used for computerized edge-to-edge quilting. Longarm quilters will usually have a catalog of designs to choose from or you can shop for your own on sites like Urban Elementz, or Etsy.
Here’s an example of some of the free pantographs available from Urban Elementz.
Choosing a Pantograph
Ultimately, you should choose whatever quilting design you like most. However, if you’re feeling lost, your longarm quilter should be able to help you choose a quilting design that will best complement your quilt. I also ask my quilter what she recommends for designs and she has never steered me wrong. Long arm quilters are professionals and choose designs, patterns, and thread colors all the time.
Custom Quilting
Some longarm quilters will offer custom and semi-custom quilting. This is done by hand (rather than computerized) and costs a premium, but the end result can be truly stunning.
Thread Color
Most quilters will recommend choosing a thread color that will blend in with your quilt top fabrics. Most times I ask my longarm quilter to either match the background fabric or match one of the fabric colors that is mid-range (not too light or too dark). Other times, you may want your quilting thread to stand out, rather than blend in. In this case, you can choose a thread that is in contrast to your fabrics. Choosing a high-contrast thread can get tricky, so I would rely on my quilter for guidance.
How to Package Your Quilt Top + Backing
Since most shipping boxes and envelopes are not waterproof, I would highly recommend putting your quilt top and backing fabric into a sealable plastic bag before putting it into your parcel of choice. If your quilter requires it, make sure to include your order form. At the very least, I would write your name on the outside of the plastic bag. Longarm quilters can be busy and you don’t want your quilt top getting lost in the shuffle.
What to Expect
A good longarm quilter should be in communication with you from beginning to end. They should contact you to confirm they received your quilt top and then make sure to ask any questions they may have and confirm exactly what design, density, and thread color you want. Many times they will offer an estimated finishing date. When your quilt top is finished, some quilters will send you photos of the finished product before packaging it up and returning your quilt. Your freshly quilted project should arrive nicely folded and ready for binding. Typically, any extra fabric will be returned with your new quilt. Extra batting is not usually returned.
Longarm Quilting Costs
Long arm quilting is an extra cost. Most longarm quilters charge $0.02 to $0.03 per square inch. This a come to anywhere from $35 to $200+ depending on the size of your quilt. You may choose to have your longarm quilter supply the batting. This is usually charged per linear foot. Depending on the type of batting and size of the quilt, this can be an additional $10 to $40. Shipping charges (to and from) are another additional fee that needs to be considered.
Lastly, if your longarm quilter is busy, it can be a few weeks until your quilt is returned to you. If you are in a hurry (or just hate waiting), this may not be the best option. Or you may have to pay an extra charge to have it rushed.
Longarm Prep Checklist
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