Quiltingboard Forums - long arm quilting ?

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You are fine. I've cut myself short of the recommended 3" per side and (actually only had a combined 3" on the top and bottom) and didn't run short. I would never recommend anyone cutting it that close I was lucky and will never temp fate again.

I depends on how experienced the LAQ is. The newer quilters need more to get the quilt center while others that have lots of experience may only need 4" on each side.

My personal preference is 5" per side to allow room for:
1. Attaching to leaders and clamping sides
2. to allow room for an out of square quilt top
3. To have room on the side to test tension
4. If using my ruler base I need the extra room on the sides so my ruler base doesn't interfere with my side clamp. In cases where I have received too narrow a backing I have to remove the clamp while quilting close to the edges.

That said I have had plenty of backs come through that give me MUCH less. I think the least I had was 2" per side. On that one I was forced to sew a strip of my own fabric to the back so I had room top to bottom for my leaders as 2" was just not enough and the sides allowed me darn little wiggle room. I did it but I was not a happy camper.

Contact your LA quilter and ask what her preferences are. In most cases it is fine to simply sew some strips of muslin or any scrap fabric you have to get up to the needed size for attaching to leaders and side clamps. Just make sure you tell your quilter that you did that only to get the backing up to size and you don't want any of it incorporated into the finished quilt. I think all but the very greenest of LAQ can accommodate that.

You will be fine with 9 inches. The requirement , at least for me, is 8" which gives me 4" all the way around. We need room for clamps and head room at the top, you're fine!

That would work for me. The sides could even be less. If the length is too short to load, I add a strip both on the top and bottom but this is an extra charge.

I think the minimum is 4" on each side

I was always told by my LAQ that it needed to be 4" on all sides. Now that I am doing my own, that is my rule of thumb also.

Mine - 4" each side.

I think you will be fine. Ask the longarmer.

I ask for an extra total of 6" to each dimension (example...40x60 top = 46 x 66 backing). The backing size is also the batting size needed.

Nan