How To Prepare a Quilt Top for Machine Quilting:
Do not assemble the quilt layers…That's my job!  

TOP:
Carefully press the quilt top from its back side . Make sure all seams are pressed flat. It is particularly important to make sure seams are lying the right direction, especially if the quilting style you choose requires stitch-in-the-ditch. This is a good time to clip all remaining trailing threads .  These threads can show through light areas of the quilt top and detract from the finished product.

Though not required, “stay-stitching” ¼”from the edge around the perimeter of the quilt top keeps seams from popping and prevents stretching during the quilting process. I strongly recommend this for a quilt with pieced borders.  Please no serger stitching.

If your top does not have a very obvious top edge, please indicate with a piece of paper marked “TOP” and attach to that edge with a safety pin.

BACKING:
For best results choose a backing that blends with the colors of the quilt top and/or is similar in color to the thread color that will be used on the top. For best results, I use the same color thread on top and bottom. A 100% cotton backing is best because Poly/cotton and 100% polyesters stretch differently than cotton and can cause tucks and puckering during the quilting process. Polyester fabrics can “pill” and encourage the batting fibers to “beard” and/or migrate to the surface of the quilt.

Remove all selvages from the seams and along the edges. The selvage edge is more tightly woven and can distort the tension of the fabric while on the quilting frame. It's easiest to seam the backing fabric with a one-inch seam, then remove the selvage edge to a ½” seam. Press the backing seams open and backstitch at the edge. Please no serger stitching.

Make sure the backing is squared. Use a 90-degree ruler to make sure it is square.

The backing needs to be at least 4”larger than the quilt top on