Tips for a beautiful outcome!

How to prepare your quilt top for machine quilting . . .
Your quilt top should be clean and pressed. Clip all threads on the surface of your quilt.  Make sure that the quilt top is free of any pins. Identify the top of your quilt and make a final check for any seams that need to be re-stitched. Do not baste your quilt top, batting and backing together.
Your quilt top should be square and edges straight. The construction methods that you have used to create your quilt top can influence the quilting and it's quality.  Please measure your quilt top in three places; (i.e., top, middle, bottom).  This measurement needs to be the same in all three places.  If it is not, there is a possibility that tucks or puckers could be quilted into your quilt.

How to prepare your quilt backing for machine quilting . . .
You may bring your own quilt backing or purchase your backing from us*. Your backing should be pre-washed and pressed.
If you are piecing your quilt backing - keep in mind that an asymmetrical design is best. It is close to impossible to center a backing design when setting up a quilt for machine quilting.
Keep in mind that your backing needs to be 8” longer and 8” wider than your quilt top. This is very important.

Sewing your borders on. . .
For beautiful flat borders, cut your borders on the cross-grain of the fabric. Measure your quilt where the border will be sewn on and also measure down the center of the quilt. This will give you a consistent accurate measurement. Take this measurement and cut the length of your boarders to fit. Pin your borders on, stitch and press.

When stitching your borders on, consider using a dual-feed foot on your sewing machine. This foot will ease in any extra fullness and will help those borders lie nice and flat.

Your batting or ours . . .
You may bring your own batting or purchase your batting from us. Keep in mind that your batting needs to be 8” longer and 8” wider than your quilt top. To see all the top quality battings we have in stock, click here:
Batting

Threads, Tension, and Pokies . . .
Many of my customers enjoy the versatility of having one color of thread on the top of their quilt and another color of thread on the back. Some quilts definitely call for this sort of treatment. You know them when you see them. However, some machine quilters believe that you should only use the same color of thread on the top and back of your quilt. The reason they believe this is that, using the same color of thread on the top and back, eliminates the visual effect of "pokies". Pokies are the little tiny dots you will, no doubt, see when stitching two different colors of threads together into a quilt top. Pokies are, in essence, the place where both of your threads lock together within your fabric. Pokies also occur when using a variegated thread on the top and bottom.

There is almost no way to eliminate this effect, because there is almost no way to have "perfect" tension. In my opinion, I think, that if it is done correctly, using two different colors of thread is O.K., especially if the quilt calls for it.

You can reduce the visual effects of "pokies" by using a medium loft batting in your quilts. Medium loft batting will give the two different colors of locking threads a place to hide. The pokies will still be there, but they will be a lot less noticeable.

When choosing two different colors of threads for the top and back of your quilt top, choose thread colors that are the same value. For example, use a medium blue and a medium green or use a light blue and light green together. If you do this, it will eliminate some of the value contrast between the threads and the pokies will show up less than if you use, for example, a dark blue and white thread on your quilt.