QUILT PREPARATION

WE CANNOT ACCEPT ANY WOOL BATTING

1. Square your Quilt Top: Measure your quilt across the top, bottom and center. These measurements should be the same. Measure your quilt from top to bottom on left, right and down the center. These measurements should be the same. If the measurements are way off you may want to look at your borders and repair them. Borders are usually the problem with quilts that are not square and it is easy to fix. If more than a ½ inch off then it is the quilt construction that may be off or a bias stretch in some of the edge pieces. If this is not corrected you might see some puckering. Fullness in the borders may keep the corners from being square.
2. Scrappy Quilts: If you have a top that has many small pieces and there are plenty of seams exposed on the edges of your quilt top, stay stitch around the edge of the whole quilt approx. 1/8 inch from the edge to keep those seams together before sending off to a machine quilter. Seams may split when stretched on the machine.
3. Backing: Backing must be square in addition to being 8 inches larger than the quilt top in both length and width. For example, if your quilt measures, 60 x 80 inches, the batting and backing should measure at least 68 x 88 inches. We will return any unused materials of usable size. This is necessary for attachment to the machine and there is some shrinkage during the quilting process. Remove selvages. Selvage is woven tighter than the fabric itself.  When piecing the back, it is better to have seams go side to side versus top to bottom when machine quilting. Press seams open using a 1/2 inch or larger seam allowance. Sheets may not be used for backing material. Prewash the backing material if you prewashed your fabrics before you pieced your top. 
4. Excessive Threads: Please remove all those long strings from the back of your quilt top. The threads may show though lighter shades of material and take away from the overall appearance of your quilt.
5. Pressing: Press seams and top well removing wrinkles and careful not to stretch fabrics. Press the backing as well.  Which way is up? Securely pin a note to the top of the quilt to indicate the top. This is the same for the backing if you have a particular edge that you want to have at the top of the quilt.
6. There are rarely mechanical issues, however, it is a machine and the possibility exists that a problem could occur and cause damage to your quilt top and /or backing. You understand this when you send/give us your quilt top.
7. Check quilt top for seam breakages: Check to make sure all seams and intersections are closed.
8. DO NOT add embellishments (buttons, or beads) until after your quilt is returned to you. The quilt will be returned if there are any embellishments without being quilted.
9. Place your quilt top, backing, order form and batting (if you are providing) in a plastic bag, before placing it in a box for shipping, or giving it to us. Do not pin or baste layers together. Quilt top, backing and batting must be separate.
10. If you are shipping your quilt to us, please use a trackable service (ex.:UPS, Fed Ex, Priority Mail, Express Mail) so that you can verify that we have received your quilt.  Also, please notify us that you have sent your quilt so that we can expect it's arrival.  If there are any damages in shipping, we will contact you directly.  When your quilt is finished, we will invoice you for the balance due including return shipping.  After we have verified receipt of your payment. we will ship your quilt via UPS and will notify you of the date and tracking number so that you can track the progress of your shipment.