Please contact me first to discuss your quilt and whether you can come in for a consultation or will send your quilt to me.
Please contact me first to discuss your quilt and whether you can come in for a consultation or will send your quilt to me.
Bringing your quilt to my studio
If you bring your quilt in, we will discuss your requirements and I will help and guide you.
I will show you quilted patterns for you to choose from and discuss the size of quilting (loose, medium or complex). We will look at thread options and lay them over your quilt.
I will check over the top, backing and wadding. I will measure your top to give you an idea of price, as well as how long the waiting list is. All these details will be written down as well as your contact details.
Posting your quilt to my studio
If your quilt comes in by post I will call you soon after it arrives and we will go over your requirements by phone.
Please write down as much information as you can, but most importantly your contact details (yes, I have had quilts in by post with no name!)
Quilt preparation checklist
If you follow these guidelines you will not incur any additional charges.
- Your quilt top should be flat with no fullness or puckering.
- Press your quilt top.
- Backings should be 4 inches larger than quilt top on all sides.
- Your quilt top should be clean and in good condition.
- Trim and straighten up your backing fabric.
- Press your backing.
- If you have seams in your backing, trim off your selvedge’s. Seams should be half an inch and pressed open.
- Selvedges can be left on the edge of your backings.
- Trim any loose threads. Especially important if white fabric is part of your quilt.
- Wadding should be 4 inches larger than quilt top on all sides.
- Label your top edge of your patchwork top.
- Label the top edge of your backing.
- Borders on your quilt top should lay flat. Fullness will result in puckering or tucks.
- Seams that run into the outer edge of your quilt should be anchored by a few machine stitches. As these seams may pop open while on the longarm machine.
- Quilts should be free of any embellishments.
- Do not pin or baste your quilt layers together. Your 3 layers should be separate when I receive them.
- You need to supply your backing as I do not offer supplies.
- I may have wadding available so please ask.
Tips for bindings
If you are making your binding for me to attach and or hand finish:
To calculate the amount of binding, take the linear length of the quilt (the length of all four sides added together) + 12 inch (for joining start/finish tails) ÷ 42 inch (fabric width) x 2.5 inch (width of binding strips) = inches of fabric yardage required.
Convert to metres if you’re going out to buy. Don’t forget to round up to give yourself some wiggle room.
Bindings are 2.5 inch cut width. Make a continuous strip with 45 degree seams. Open these seams and press. Your binding should then be folded over and pressed ready to go. If you don’t want to do this bit, I can always do it for you.
