what's the best way to "manhandle" bat and wideback to correct size?
I long arm and when using bat off my roll, or backing I cut, I have no problems. But when a customer gives me a king size bat or 4 yds of 118" wideback for a 60x85 quilt, it feels like rounding up a herd of cats! When I try to cut the wideback on my cutting table, it seems that once I open it up ,the darn stuff is so off-grain that it won't play right on the long arm. I've tried ripping it, but don't like the frayed edges and it doesn't always seem even. So please share your best method for cutting down these unwieldy big pieces!