Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to do to prepare my quilt for longarm quilting?

Your quilt top and backing need to be pressed, and any loose threads cut. Do not baste the back, batting and quilt top together as it is unnecessary and will only cause extra work on both ends. 

The quilt should lay flat and be square. Attaching borders properly (Measuring for Borders) will help with the quilt top  that was not completely square to lay flat  (this may not be effective enough for tops that have too much of a variance in the measurements between middle, top and bottom).  Once the borders have been sewn in they should not have any extra fullness.

The backing must be square so that when it is attached to the longarm rollers the quilt travels evenly from the front to the take-up roller.

All selvage must be removed from the backing, whether it is pieced or not (same applies to the top).  Leaving the selvage on will not allow the backing to lay flat.

Backing and batting must be at least 8 inches wider and longer than quilt top.

Do not baste or pin the three layers together.

If your quilt top has a particular direction, apply a safety pin to the top. Likewise, if the back has a particular direction, apply a safety pin to the top.

Why do you need at least 8 extra inches of back and batting material?

Once loaded onto the quilting frame the quilt is held in the quilting frame by the front roller bar and the take-up roller bar. It is also necessary during quilting to secure the fabric on the side so the fabric is held tightly enough. This helps to assure that we don’t have any creases or a pucker in the back. If there is not enough extra material, the machine will not "reach" to the edges of your quilt, as the rollers and clamps will be in its way.  So make sure there is an additional 4" to each side of the backing (or 8" inches wider and longer than the quilt top).  

The extra material is for you to cut off once you get the quilt back and square it off.

Why can’t I put embellishments on my quilt before it is quilted?

Embellishments such as beads, buttons or any other object that is not fabric will often break when the quilt top is rolled into the longarm machine. Additionally, the embellishments could break the needle during quilting.  Your quilt top will be returned back to you without being quilted at your expense if there are any embellishments on the top.

I chose not to have any borders on my quilt.  Is that okay?

The simple answer is yes - it is okay.  However, there is an additional step you will  need to do before sending your quilt top to be quilted - stay stitch around the edges of your quilt approx. 3/8" away from the edge.  This is needed so that the quilt top doesn't start "unstitching" itself when it is loaded onto the longarm machine.

How will I know how much it will cost to have my quilt top quilted?

We provide complimentary estimates.   This is how we determine the approximate cost of your quilt top to be finished:

• Measure your quilt top's width and length  Provide the measurements to us.  We will use that to calculate how many square inches your quilt top is.  
• Decide if you want Edge-to-Edge quilting, or custom work.
• Choose your design. 
• Decide if you want specialty thread or our regular thread.  You can go to Superior Threads website by clicking here to look at the threads.  Omni brand is our reqular thread that is included in the price of the quilting.  Other brands will incur a small per bobbin fee.
• Decide if you will provide your own backing and batting, or if you choose to purchase them from us.
• Let us know if there is any other services you want us to perform, such as binding, piecing the back, etc.
• Based on the information we receive we will calculate a very accurate estimate.  For example, if the quilt measures 60" by 80", the total square inch of the quilt top is 4,800 sq. in (60 x 80 = 4,800).  We will then use this number and multiply it with the price per square inch (for example, a loose edge-to-edge pattern is $0.015 psi, so the price for quilting, with regular thread and no other services, would be $72.00 (4,800 x $0.015 = $72.00).The only thing that may change the estimate is if you provided incorrect measurements for your quilt top.  We go by the pre-quilted measurements to determine our rates.  Shipping is then added to the estimate, and will depend on many factors ( such as insurance and weight of the final quilt).  Although we cannot give an estimate for shipping (usual range is $15-$20) we will only charge the actual shipping cost, and nothing for the handling.  Again, insurance is highly recommended.
• Arkansas residents will be charged sales tax.

When is payment due?

Half of your payment is due before quilting is started.  The rest of the payment, along with shipping charges, is due once the quilt has been finished. The quilt won't be released prior to full payment having been received.