Preparing Your Quilt for Longarm Quilting

Looking to get the best results from longarm quilting? These tips will help! The quilt police aren’t welcome at my studio—every quilt is honored for the time and love that went into it. That said, attention to detail can go a long way. Here are a few things you can do to help your quilt shine:

Backing

Make sure your backing and batting extend at least 4″ beyond the quilt top on all sides (that’s 8″ total added to the width and length). If you’re using extra-wide backing, trim it to no more than 8–10″ larger than the top. When piecing your backing, horizontal seams work best for easier loading—but don’t stress if yours are vertical!

Reduce Bulk

Press seams open or nest them to minimize bulk, especially where seams intersect. Double-check that your seam allowances stay pressed in the direction you intended – flipped seam allowances can cause a bump. Have a super bulky spot? Give it a healthy whack with a hammer or rubber mallet to flatten it out.

Inspect Seam Allowances

Scan your quilt top for popped seams or narrow stitching that might come apart under tension. The longarm frame stretches your quilt, and weak seams can split during the process. Better to catch them now than mid-quilting!

Evaluate for Fullness

A little fullness can be worked in during quilting, but too much rippling may lead to tucks or pleats. Lay your quilt flat on a hard surface—if it doesn’t rest smoothly or press flat, especially around borders or bias seams, it might need a little adjustment before quilting.

Clip Loose Threads

Loose threads—especially on light fabrics—can show through once quilted. Snip them before sending in your quilt. I’ll catch and trim the obvious ones, but a little cleanup ahead of time makes a big impact. I understand that fabric continues to fray until quilting is complete, so don’t sweat it trying to achieve perfection. A quick tidy is usually all that is required.

Sewing Borders

Measure your quilt through the center and both sides, average those measurements, and cut your borders to that number. Avoid sewing on long border strips and trimming them to size afterward—this method often stretches the edges and leads to wavy borders. Borders that are measured and cut to size, even if that requires easing in the edges of your blocks, will yield a flatter, square quilt.

Victory Laps

Sew a “victory lap” (staystitching 1/8″ from edge around the whole the perimeter) or backstitch when finishing your final borders. This simple step keeps seams from popping during handling and while loading the quilt onto the longarm.

Thanks for reading! I hope this helps take the mystery out of preparing your quilt for longarm quilting—and empowers you to create something amazing. Want to know more about my process? Check out some of my Frequently Asked Questions.

Happy quilting!
-Emma