TIPS

General

Remove any stray pins that may have been overlooked.

Take the time to clip loose threads from the back of your quilt top. These threads may show through the lighter colors of your top.

Let me know how your quilt will be used, such as: bed quilt, wall hanging, table topper, for child, special occasion, ect.

Gently fold your top separately from the backing. Please do not baste the layers together.

Remember:  The better job you do on preparation, the better job I can do for you.
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TOP

Check for and restitch any loose or broken seams.

Back stitch the ends of all border seams so that stitching does not pull out.

If you have a pieced border, for best results stay stitch 1/4 around the edge of your quilt top. This helps keep the borders from stretching while being quilted.

Let me know if your top of back is directional.

It is helpful to indicate the top with a piece of paper marked TOP pined with a safety pin.

Quilt top should be free of embellishments, such as buttons,bows, beads, ribbons. ect.

If your plans are to scallop the edges of your quilt, PLEASE DO NOT CUT THE SCALLOP'S UNTIL AFTER THE QUILTING IS FINISHED. Just mark your scallops and cut later.
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HOW TO PUT ON BORDERS

1. Measure through the middle of the quilt from top to bottom.

2. Cut your 2 side borders that length. Find the center of the quilt and pin each end and the center, back stitch the outer border seams. THERE SHOULD BE NO FULLNESS TO EASE IN IF CUT AND HANDLED PROPERLY.

3. Iron the seam towards the border.

4. Measure through the middle of the quilt from side to side.

5 Cut your top and bottom borders that length. Repeat the rest of steps 2&3.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUILT SLEEVE

1. Cut a strip of fabric 8 1/2 inches wide and the length equal to the width of the quilt, plus two inches. Make a one inch hem on each short side of the strip.

2 With right sides together, sew along the long edges using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

3. Turn and iron the sleeve with the seam ling in the center of the sleeve.

4. With the seam line next to the quilt back, place the sleeve 1/2 inch down from the top edge of the quilt back. If the quilt is longer than 90 inches the sleeve should be 90 inches from the bottom of the quilt.

5. Slip stitch the sleeve along the edges on the top and bottom of the lining only.

6 Leave the ends of the sleeve open for a rod so the quilt can be hung for display.
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BINDING

I prefer to use  double fold binding. The binding is folded in half wrong sided together  with the raw edges matched to the raw edges of the quilt edge. After the binding is machine stitched down it is folded over and stitched down either by hand or machine.

For my own quilts I prefer a narrow tight binding. I use approximately a 1/4 inch seam to stitch the binding on with.  I cut my binding strips 2 1/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches depending on the thickness of the batting used.

Bindings need to be straight, full but not over stuffed.

To find out how much binding needed... Add the width and the length together and multiply by 2. Then add at least 12 inches for mitering the corners and closing the ends.

EXAMPLE;   length + width X 2 = quilt circumference + 12 inches= length of binding needed.

Bias binding is used for any edge that is not straight such as a double wedding ring quilt.. However bias binding may be used on a straight edged quilt to add interest...very effective when using stripes or other patterned fabric.

The formula for cutting bias binding is the same as for straight binding except that the strips are cut on the bias grain of the fabric instead of the straight of grain.stretch as it is folded over the edge of the quilt and stitched down.

Bias binding allows the binding to

There are several methods for cutting bias strips.