I don't have mine suspended. I roll it out on the floor, lay the quilt top on and cut off what I need. I invested in a pair of batting scissors which really help. I cut the piece so that I can put the factory edge against the leader on the take up roller, so I know that edge is straight. I float my batting & top, so I just secure the top edge, then just unfold the rest of the batt. I don't try and cut it to length. I quilt the top, then cut the excess batting off before I remove the quilt from the frame.