packaging a top to be quilted
 

OK, I have finished my top, have it neatly pressed, starched and ready to be mailed to the wizard. How do I fold it to get it to her without wrinkling the darned thing? I didn't think of that. Would it be better to roll it up? LAQ please advise. I can't get the wizard on the phone today and I want to get it mailed. Thanks so much.

Every time I send a quilt out to a Long Arm pro ... it just makes me a bit crazy to have to fold up ... what took alot of time to press. I am very anxious to hear from the Long Arm Pro's what they advise. Short of rolling on a big tube ... ( huge costs to mail) ... I wonder if there is "the best way".

Place crunched slightly tissue paper at each fold and that should keep creases from forming. When the quilt is attached to the LA and stretched it will smooth out most of the unavoidable wrinkles. Could also use a thin strip of bubble wrap instead of the tissue, neither will add much weight to your package.

the quilt tops i receive in the mail are simply folded to fit in the box being used to ship them=the backing is also folded neatly- don't over complicate things.
hopefully you didn't go overboard on the starch- i've had a hundred or more quilts come to me through the mail- never had one starched first- simply pressed neatly, threads clipped and folded- placed in a plastic bag to protect it from possible (mail mishandling-or inclimate weather)

I use the batting to ease the folds and I mark the top of all three pieces (top, backing and batting) with a safety pin so the quilter knows 'what's up'. Everything gets pulled when on the frame so if it was pressed nicely before mailing, it should be fine. My quilter is local, but the top still has to get folded to get to her and it sits in a storage bin waiting it's turn to be quilted. (I've never starched a top before having it quilted.)

I starch when I piece, and I don't wash it out, so it's starched. I always starch the back, just a habit from when I quilt them on my domestic machine.

I'm a handquilter so... As long as it's pressed before being folded for mail, then I don't mind giving it a quick press if necessary. I just don't care to deal with rolled in a ball and slept on my the dog if you know what I mean.