preparation of quilt top and backing fabric

Quilt Size

Marilyn sits on a 14-foot table, the largest size available, and is able to accommodate quilt tops up to 125” wide.

Preparing the Quilt Top

Ensure all seams are secure, as the quilt top will be stretched on the frame. If the borders are pieced, stay stitch around the edges so they won’t split open when pulled.

Puckers, tucks and excessive fullness in borders can not be quilted out. Click here for a helpful tutorial on how to ensure your quilt will lie flat and square. Seriously, this is genius. I don’t find this process at all intuitive, but trust me, it works like a charm and eliminates wavy borders which will yield much better stitching results and a quilt that’s “square”. Think of it this way: Make your quilt fit your borders (as opposed to making your borders fit your quilt).

If your quilt top includes very dark and very light colored fabric, trim loose threads on the wrong side of the quilt top. Dark threads may show through behind lighter fabrics.

If the quilt top is directional, safety pin a note to identify the top if it’s not obvious.

Backing Fabric

The backing fabric needs to be at least 5” larger than the quilt top on each of the 4 sides. (So a 50” x 65"” quilt would need a backing that is at least 60” x 75”.) The extra room is needed to load the quilt onto canvas leaders, and room to clamp onto to the sides. Please trim each of the four sides so that they are straight, no uneven edges. Double-check the cut made by the seller, it’s not always cut straight.

What if your backing is large enough for your quilt top, but not quite large per the instructions above? Here’s an easy work-around: sew strips of another fabric along the edges to enlarge the backing. This will provide room to clamp onto, but that extra fabric won’t show up in your quilt. The strips need to extend the full length or width of the backing fabric, and be a consistent width (picture large rectangle shaped pieces). The end result, even with strips sewn on, should be 4 straight edges. Or we can do this for you at a cost of $5-$10 per extension strip, depending on length. It will be removed before your quilt is returned to you.

If you have a seam in your backing, it’s preferable that the seam runs horizontally (not vertically) along the quilt if possible. This becomes more important as the size of the quilt top increases. Depending on the stitching pattern chosen, it may be possible to load the quilt “sideways” to turn a vertical seam into a horizontal one (think of it as “landscape” vs. “portrait” orientation on a computer document). It may also help to shorten your stitch length slightly while sewing the backing pieces together, and use a large 1” seam — this makes it easier for the seam to lie down flatter when the backing is loaded and stretched on the machine. It’s recommended to trim off the selvedge when it’s thicker than the fabric. I find that many new fabrics on the market don’t have that problem, the selvedges are the same weight as the fabric itself.

If your backing is pieced, the top will be centered horizontally on the backing to the best of our ability but can not be guaranteed for specific placement. It not advisable to add a border around the edges of the backing, or a design which requires specific alignment (such as a focus strip running close to one of the four borders) as exact alignment with the quilt top can not be ensured. I can’t see the back of the quilt while I’m working and I’m tugging and “noodging” the fabric about, and it moves a bit.

Minkee - Yes, I do work with quilt shop quality Minkee. But I have a few requirements: (1.) The selvedge of the Minkee must align with width of your quilt, not the length. (2.) Please “de-fuzz” the edges of your Minkee before dropping it off. Ensure the 4 edges are trimmed straight (you can’t necessarily assume the shop has done this, please double-check) and then pull at the edges until the “fluff” no longer falls off. If you need to add extra strips to make your Minkee backing a bit larger, use cotton fabric for those strips (not more Minkee).

If learning is your jam and you have a few minutes, here’s a nice article from Marilyn’s maker (APQS Quilting Systems) about how to prepare quilt backing for optimal results:

https://www.apqs.com/5-tips-for-piecing-your-quilt-backing-fabric/

Additional Tips

Press your quilt top & quilt back. They should be as square/rectangular as possible with four straight and even edges (especially when the backing is pieced, please trim edges to make sure they’re straight).

The quilt top and back should be not attached to each other in any way (do not baste), and be free of pins, loose threads and pet hair.

If you provide your own batting, please make sure it is at least 3” larger on each of the 4 sides of your quilt top. (In other words, 6” wider and 6” longer than your top). Black Point Quilts also provides batting, see our “Services” page for details.

Liability

Black Point Quilts cares about your quilt as much as you do. We understand the time and expense that went into creating your treasured quilt. Our work space is a smoke-free environment, and we take the utmost care when handling quilts. We are not responsible for reimbursement in case of circumstances beyond our control, such as a natural disaster.