To trim or not to trim and a couple more questions

[Ritathequilter]

I have always trimmed the excess batting and backing off customers quilts before returning to them but I'm wondering if I should be. It takes extra time etc. So I'm wondering....how many of you trim the excess off?

Prewound bobbins....someone told me that one side of the paper bobbin should be removed before using it. I've never done that tho cause I don't know which side to remove and since I've not had a problem didn't think it was a big deal. But again I'm wondering....how many of you removed one side of the paper prewound bobbins before using it?

Rita

[witha'K'quilting]

I quilt primarily for myself...with the occasional customer quilt. I trim all of mine...and I ask the customers about theirs. One customer likes me to trim...while most prefer to trim their own. When in doubt...do not do it. I know one lady who likes to pull the backing over to the front and use it as the binding.

[Mary Beth]

When I first started machine quilting, we left at lease 4" of batting and backing so as to apply the binding. But, I have been noticing some of the show quilters trim their quilts right up to 1/4" seam on the quilted quilt, then add the binding....what is the current trend? I don't think I can keep up

[witha'K'quilting]

Interesting...I have always trimmed right up to the edge of the quilt. Then apply binding. Wonder why so much extra would have been left untrimmed?

[RitaR]

I don't know about current. I quilt it, then check squareness, and straightness of edge lines.. if it suits me, then I trim to about half inch for others, who want it trimmed, and about 1/4"for me to finish.

I didn't think anyone brought the backing to the front for binding any more.. Be too hard to find a compatible fabric to go with the top of the quilt colors and prints we use now days. . I do know one gal that trims hers to 1/2", then trims the front and back fabrics to 1/4" leaving the extra batting to fill in the binding.. they do look pretty, I just can't do that much cutting at one time and it would take a few days to get it done.

When I quilt for someone who wants it cut, I ask if they want the batting and backing scraps that are cut off. Usually they say no, so I have strips of batting to help with a quilt as you go quilt, and often strips of fabric to help that too.

I say whatever works best and looks the brettiest for you. Can't see how even JUDGEs could find fault for that.. or do they?

Good Luck, relax and keep doing your beautiful quilting. just don't fall thru the ceilings any more

Rita R

[sspingler]

I only trim if the customer requests it. I know of some people that that has gotten them hassles from the customer for trimming without asking.

[Bonnie]

I only trim if asked too and I've never charged for it.

[Mary Beth]

for your own quilts?? Do you trim before the binding and how much? I'm happy if I can get rid of the bulk...It's had to handle when wrestling with the sewing machine.

[jmcclannan]

I trim my own quilts because I have a 1/4 in walking foot that I use for attaching the binding. I don't trim for others and no one has ever asked.

[Mary Beth]

I send all of my quilts to a binder, she has never said anything about the extra batting/backing, now I feel bad. I thought I was suppose to leave it.

[lcquilting]

I've been applying the binding with my LA will still on the frame then pull it off and trim it up. Works out great!

But if I need to apply the binding with my DSM, I trim it first. I don't like having the extras, just gets in the way.

As far as customers, I never trim it, not even when applied with my LA.

[Quilting Heidi]

I never trim a customer quilt. If they asked me to I would but I figure why take the risk. I always square mine up and then apply the binding.

[shirleyl]

I trim mine, but on customers I always ask. I don't ever assume (if you get my meaning).

Shirley

[Bonnie]

When I do my own I always leave 1/4" as I want the binding to be full. I also cut my bindings 2.5. Where some use 2.25. But if you leave the 1/4 of batting and backing it will be full like judges want them to be.

[CindyT]

Oh, Bonnie. Thanks for the explanation of the fuller binding. You wouldn't believe how I was going to do mine if I ever entered in a judged show.

I don't know about the trend nowadays but I trim mine squaring it up as I go and apply the 2 1/4" binding with 1/4" seam. I've been told you're supposed to whip the binding to the back by hand, but I have gotten really efficient at pinning the binding to the back and then sewing the back of the binding by machine and it just shows about 1/8" seam on the back as I stitch in the ditch on the front. Guess I'll have to apply by hand if I ever enter a judged show, too, along with truly mitering the corners.

[witha'K'quilting]

I always trim to within the 1/4" and then use 1-3/4" single fold binding. My bindings are 'full', I miter corners and I always hand stitch it to the back unless it is for a baby. Those quilts get machine stitched on both sides.

I was taught to do it this way...that's my story...and I'm sticking to it!

[quiltnutt]

The only time I will trim a cust quilt is when I put on the binding for them.

[Butterfly]

I don't trim. I'm challenged when it comes to cutting a straight line. I'm afraid I might cut into the quilt by accident. Nobody has ever asked me to trim either.

Jessica

[ffq-lar]

After quilting, I seldom trim anything--just too many variables as mentioned above. BUT, if I am rolling the quilt back and forth (when I use several colors or have left an area unquilted until the end) I will trim the excess batting at the bottom end--leaving about two inches. This way the flapping batting won't make the quilt wonky and lumpy as I roll back up.

As for the pre-wound bobbins, I remove the outside cardboard and leave the inner one up against the case. It just works best for my machine that way. It does not matter which you do--all that matters is that your tension is right for your bobbin thread.

[KathyA]

I trim customer quilts since it gives it a much cleaner look and only adds about 10 minutes (but I have a very large flat space to do it in). But I leave a good 1/2 inch from the edge so the customer can bind and trim as they see fit. When I sent them out I always made sure I let the LAer know not to trim to the edge. When I do my own I do the same, leave 1/2 inche, then apply the binding so everything is square, then trim 1/8th from the edge. I like my binding to be very full, without being pulled way to the back so the binding is about 3/8 instead of 1/4th. They are very firm this way.

Regarding the prewounds, I remove the paper from both sides of the bobbin. We all have our own methods, funny how they all work isn't it?

[rlhdesigns]

I also trim 1" and let the customer square their own quilt unless asked to trim. My own quilts I trim 1/4'' for my bindings.

[Sandra Darlington]

My own quilts are trimmed to the 1/4 inch and I sew the binding on with my Bernina - sometimes to the front and hand stitch to the back. Other times (especially for baby quilts and quilts that will be washed a lot) I will machine stitch to the back, fold to the front and machine stitch to the front using a decorative stitch - usually a feather stitch.

The few quilts I have done for friends, I asked them what they wanted. One gal said NOT to trim, and the other asked me to trim, but to leave 2" on hers. She wanted all her scraps back to use for scrappy quilts. She also pieces her battings together, so she uses all decent size batting scraps. She then instructed me to NOT test my tension on her quilt. Since I needed to test, I stitched a strip of my muslin to the side of her quilt, my own scrap of batting and a piece of muslin on the top. I used that to test my tension, even though it wasn't exactly the same as testing in the same quilt ingredients. Afterwards, when I removed the quilt from the frame, I had to remove the stitches holding my muslin strip to her backing. She wanted to use all of her scraps, so did not want me to waste her backing fabric with the tension testing. I asked her what her regular LA quilter does and she said she is so experienced she does not need to keep testing her tension. She has an expensive machine, too, which makes a big difference. URGHHH! Some people! Will I quilt for her again...UNLIKELY!

To each his/her own....

[CWBowser]

I trim right next to the quilt top with a 24 inch ruler so it will be straight. I cut my binding 2.25 and sew it to the front using a walking foot. I miter the corners and sew by hand to the back.

I don't think that you have to remove the cardboard from the prewound bobbins to use on your longarm. I thought that was more for drop in bobbin cases where the thread has to come over the top. You might want to check with Amy or Dawn. They would know about the prewound bobbins. I wind my own.

[Hollyrw]

I don't trim customer quilts, I leave that for them. I know that I am very picky about my own quilts & bindings and I just presume that the customer is too. For my own quilts, I trim them to the edge of the quilt top and square the quilt up as I go along. That means that in some places I will trim off a little of the top and in other places I may leave the batting & backing a wee bit longer.

As far as the prewound bobbins are concerned, I pull the cardboard off the outside.

[Darlene Epp]

I have always trimmed to the edge, unless the customer requests that I don't. It's stated in the information they get before they bring their quilt top to me. The only exception to this is if there is piecing right to the edge of the border and I want to make sure they don't "cut off" any points when attaching the binding. They I'll leave an extra 1/4" or 1/2" and point it out to them when they pick up the quilt.

There are 2 reasons why I trim the quilt for my customers.

1. First impressions are very important. I want their first look at their quilt to be "Wow"! Where I lived before I had a bedroom close to the front door, decorated with antique furniture. Every quilt looked fabulous on that bed, with the lace pillow shams and an antique doll or teddy bear. THAT was the first look the customer had of their quilt.

2. Many of my customers are older, living in small apts. and just don't have a large cutting table to trim their quilts on. This is one service they appreciate VERY much and it makes the job of attaching the binding so much easier for them.

I always return the leftover batting and fabric to them, but I cut the pieces straight with my ruler and rotary cutter. There are no ragged edges when they get them back. Just a little thing that shows my attention to detail and impresses the customer.

This service only takes an extra 5 or 10 minutes and is so worth it IMHO.

This is something that can be added to your check in sheet. Some customers aren't sure what you mean when you ask if they want the quilt "trimmed to the edge", so have a sample to show them what you mean.

In almost 13 years, I've only had one customer that didn't want her quilt "trimmed to the edge".