Quilting Preparation & Estimates

By: Bluegum Quilting Services

Quilting Preparation

 

Take care in piecing your quilt top

Use 100% cotton fabrics, keep seam allowances even & press well, flipping to one side to allow accurate SID where needed. Stay stitch across seams on the outer edges of the quilt to prevent them coming apart. Trim any loose threads on the back as they may show through lighter fabrics after quilting. When adding borders, measure length required through the centre of the quilt & cut to this measurement before attaching evenly. This will help borders sit flat & prevent those ‘wavy’ edges. Do not add any embellishments before having quilting done eg buttons, beads, charms, etc. It is much easier to do add these after the quilting has been completed.

 

Prepare your backing fabric

If joining with a seam, remove any selvedge & sew together with ½” wide seam & press open. If piecing the backing, make sure individual pieces have square corners & straight edges. Backing should be flat (lay out on floor to check this) with the sides parallel & outer corners at right angles. The use of poly/cotton sheeting for backing fabric is not recommended as it can be too dense for even needle penetration. This can cause skipped stitches. I recommend the use of extra wide backing fabrics which are available from quilt shops & by mail order. Widebacks Australia has a very good range, samples of which I have at the studio & I can order these for you.

 

Allow extra fabric for your backing

Due to the process involved, I need to have an extra 20 cms larger than your quilt top in both width & length. The same applies to the wadding. This will help me to stitch completely through to the raw edge of the quilt top. It is also a good idea to wash your backing fabric to remove any finish or sizing from the manufacturing process. A fee will be charged for me to do this if I feel it is necessary.

 

Add your quilt label

Add your quilt label to the backing before quilting if possible. Fix it in place with vliesofix & use a blanket or satin stitch around the outer edge. Doing this before quilting will make it more secure & prevent it from being removed should there ever be the possibility of theft.

 

Do not pre-baste your quilt

Do not pre-baste your quilt in any way when sending it in for quilting. All three layers are attached to the machine individually & for your quilt to have an even tension for the quilting process, it is best not to do this beforehand. Should your quilt arrive with basting in place it will be removed before I can attach it to the machine & you will be charged for the time taken.

 

Remember that your quilt will be together forever so the more care taken in your preparation the better the result I can achieve for you!

 

Quilting Estimates

Should you require an estimate for your quilt, please send me an email with the following information:

 

• Your name & phone number so you can be contacted in person if necessary.
• Measurements & style of your quilt, any detail such as appliqué, extra borders, etc, name of quilt if made from a kit or magazine article.
• What type of quilting do you have in mind? Please refer to Quilting Styles or Gallery page for reference & ideas.
• What thread colour would you prefer? Consider a colour that will tone with the fabrics in your quilt top. This should also be considered when choosing the colour of backing fabric.
• Do you have your own wadding & backing fabrics or would you like these to be supplied? Consider the type of wadding you would like.
• Attach a photograph of your quilt to your email if possible, this helps in suggesting what style of quilting & designs would be most suited
• Do you need the quilt to be completed & returned by a certain date for a special occasion? It is often best to contact the quilter on the amount of lead-time required for quilting. This will vary according to the type of work required. Please keep in mind that customised quilting will have a longer waiting time.

 

Any further information which your can include is always helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact me, I shall endeavour to reply to you as soon as possible, or call me by phone.