Hi everyone!

My last post focused on the importance of machine maintenance, and how that can impact your quilting experience.

But even when your machine is in top condition, the quality of your quilting experience hinges on another important factor, the preparation of your quilt top and backing.

So today I’m going to share both piecing and longarm preparation tips that will increase your chances of having a fun, stress-free quilting experience!

Piecing Your Quilt Top

Accuracy is the watchword for a good quilting experience.

But when it comes to longarm quilting, accuracy is especially important when it comes to loading your quilt on the frame and keeping it square.

Piecing tips:

• Make sure the body of your quilt remains square. Measure your quilt in three places: toward each edge and across the middle. Do this for both the width and length. If your three measurements aren’t reasonably equal, check your piecing. Fix as appropriate.

• If you’re adding borders, use your three measurements to cut your strips. If the measurements vary slightly, take an average of the three numbers to determine the length of your strips. This way your side borders will match each other. Same for your top/bottom borders.