How to center a quilt back design on the longarm

I was very excited to tie dye a symmetrical spiral quilt back for the commission t-shirt quilt. After gloating over my dyeing success for a few days reality struck.

How the heck am I going to get the quilt top centered on the back? It took a few days of pondering but I finally figured it out. Here's a little tutorial.

(Get a PDF version of this tutorial here.)

First the backing needs to be square and not on the grain lines. It has to be squared on the design. I folded the backing fabric on the vertical and horizontal center "lines" of the dyed fabric. These are the same fold lines that the tie dye design was done on. Square up the backing off of these folded center lines. Unless the design is perfectly centered, this will bee slightly off grain. Mine was but it wasn't a problem at all.

1. Load the backing on the longarm (either on the long edge or short edge depending on your quilting plan) with the pinned edges centered on the backing and take-up leaders. I loaded this one with the top and bottom (short sides) of the quilt attached to the leaders but that was simply a function of the way I wanted the quilt design to flow across the quilt.

2. Roll the backing onto the take-up and backing rollers until the true center of the backing fabric is centered in the work area of the longarm.

3. For this to work, the top has to be fully floated. You cant put the top on the top roller.

Find the center of the batting and position it on the backing so that the vertical and horizontal center of the batting roughly lines up with the centers of the backing.  Place a pin at the edge of the batting (and through the backing) on the center point of the backing design. DO this at both edges of the batting. The red circle points out the positioning pin on the left side of the batting. At this point there is an equal amount of backing fabric rolled on the backing and take-up rollers and half the batting is above that pin and half is below that pin.

4. Lay the top on the batting. Center it left to right on the backing and position the center of the top across the center of the backing. This is where those positioning pins will be helpful. This is a t-shirt quilt and the center point between the top and bottom of the quilt is right in the middle of the SPAM block.

You can see that I have the top part of the batting and the top scrunched up against the take-up roller. I quilted from this center point to the top (toward the take-up roller).

 

5. Baste the sides of the quilt and quilt the center section of the quilt. My pantograph has two passes and you might be able to see that it runs across that green Acadia block and a little into the bullseye block. I had to watch the top edge so that the loose batting and top did not get in the way of the quilting. Now the quilt is stable.

 

6. The bottom part of the quilt and backing need to be rolled onto the backing bar so that you can quilt the top of the quilt. See the green Acadia block? That's where I quilted and that is my reference point. I unrolled the backing fabric and loosely spread the backing and top over the backing and rolled it all back onto the backing roller. At this point you have to be careful with that stitched area and make sure there isn't too much torque on it. If it has odd pressure on it you could risk tearing a hole in the quilt.

 

7. The rest of the process is pretty normal. First I quilted from the middle to the top being careful to keep the loose batting edge and top out of the way of the machine.

 

8. After the top part is quilted, unroll the bottom of the backing, batting and top from the backing roller. Roll the backing only back onto the roller and let the batting and top hang loose as normal. Finish quilting the quilt.

Was it worth it?

 

Yes it was! It did turn out centered. The is the back of the trimmed quilt. I will have better photos after the binding is done but it centered perfectly.

Comments

[Ivory Spring]

Oh my goodness - that sounds so hard to do. You are smart to figure out a way to do it. Thanks for the tutorial. I actually really like the backing!

[Terri]

That's WONDERFUL! I LOVE the backing and I love that it's centered! GREAT JOB Vicki!

[Becky in VA]

I read the instructions and sorta think I know what you did. It worked - and the back is spectacular! Great job. This is really a reversible quilt - the guy is going to love it!

[Mary]

I doubt I would have done it but it looks wonderful!!!! So it was definitely worth you doing it.

[Jody]

You are brilliant!! Love the backing (much better than the front!!!)
And I think I can do the centering thing if I print out your tutorial and DO it --step by step. thank you!

[Lori in SD]

Wow! that took a lot of planning and PATIENCE!

[Jackie]

The backing is just fantastic!! Job well done and I definitely can see why you want this one centered!

[Deb Levy]

great work! Very cool backing!

[Kathy]

Great job, and that backing fabric you dyed is fabulous.

[Kim]

That is way cool, and I don't even know what you are talking about.

: )

[joyce]

Thanks for that tutorial. I'd definitely put that quilt on the bed inside out. The back is way way nicer than the front.

[Debra Spincic]

Now I think I do need a quilting class! (Although I think I have the gist of it. . . never use a backing that needs centering! *wink*)

[Vicky]

Awesome backing!

[Cindy Is Crafty]

This is going to be awesome. Love the funky back you tie dyed! So cool!

[tim]

Very Nice :) Gonna wear tye dye to Yankees game Tuesday...7 rows behind dugout...look for me :)

[Helen-Mary]

OMG, that is one gorgeous back. Nice nice work.

[Liz in Kansas]

Oh yes, it was definitely worth it! That backing looks better and better each time you show it.

[Diane]

fantastic! I don't longarm (yet) but love the information because...you never know! I love the back!

[Judy L.]

That backing is gorgeous! You did great figuring out how to get it centered.

[Susan Italo]

You're a genius. Not to mention a nice person. AND a good dyer!!
THanks for the fab tute!!
Wahoo wah!

[sue b]

that backing is way too cool!

[Summerset]

Absolutely too cool. Those large tie dyes would be great whole cloth quilts, too.

[Tany]

AMAZING!

[Kay in Scotland]

Great'how to' and a fantastic backing, I want to come kneel at your feet to watch you work!!!

Kay in Scotland

[Linda Card]

Great tutorial, Vicki. I'm so glad that Jo Ann gave us the link for this page on the MQR post.

I have to say that the spirals are way cool. I think that I would lay it on the bed T-shirt side down.