MB Services, Longarm Quilting

Stitch all around your quilt top about 1/8 inch from the edge. This prevents seams from coming open during handling and also prevents stretching.
Press your quilt top and backing thoroughly. If excessive pressing needs to be done, there will be an additional $10 charge.
Place a safety pin at the top of both the quilt and backing fabric.
If you pre-wash your fabrics, pre-wash all of them.
Clip loose threads from the back and front of the quilt top. Excess threads left on the back of your quilt are not a big concern unless your quilt has light-colored open areas.
Square up the backing fabric.
Size your backing and batting a minimum of 4” larger than your quilt top on all four sides.
Do not baste, pin, or tack your quilt together. Simply fold each piece.
Remove any selvages in the seams in your backing.
Be aware that fullness and puckers, which have been pieced in, cannot be quilted out.

Avoid handling your quilt by the borders once they have been attached. This can stretch them and cause them to become loose and wavy.
Cut your straight borders from the length of the grain (parallel to the selvage) — if possible. This direction will make them lay much flatter than those cut cross-grained.
Before you bring in your quilt to be quilted, lay it on a flat surface and make sure your borders lie flat.
Measure the outer edges of your quilt, as compared to the measurement taken about 10" in from the outer edge. If the outer edge is more than an inch or two bigger than the inner measurement, you have created a wavy border.
Quilts with wavy borders or other areas that will not lie flat require extra work that will result in extra charges. Minimal fullness can be eased in without problems, but too much fullness will result in pleats or tucks if additional work is not done to fix the problem areas before quilting.
Charge for Correcting Wavy Borders: Minimum of $.04/sq ft per serious problem area.

Quilt Preparation Guidelines