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Things You'll Need
Instructions
Lay the entire quilt onto a flat surface and iron it to smooth out any wrinkles or creases. You will not be able to obtain accurate measurements if the fabric is not completely flat. Inaccurate measurements result in rippled or wavy edges that cannot be repaired without taking the quilt apart.
Take the measurement across the center of the quilt top first by placing the measuring tape flat across the fabric. Place one end of the measuring tape even with one edge and pull it across to the other edge. Do not stretch the fabric as you are measuring. You will need to measure both the length and the width of the quilt top. Write your measurements down.
Measure the width across the quilt top or the part that will be placed near the headboard on the bed. Take the measurement approximately 5 inches down from the raw edge. The raw edge is what the edge of the fabric is called before it has been hemmed or sewn to keep threads from unraveling. Measure the length in the same manner.
Measure the width across the bottom end of the quilt top, 5 inches up from the raw edge. Measure the length as well, maintaining the 5 inches difference between the raw edge and the tape measure.
Compare the measurements. If the top and bottom measurements are more than 1/2 inch longer or shorter than the center measurement, it is vital that you take time to square the edges before you begin machine quilting. If you have to square the quilt again, repeat the measuring process once you are done.
Measure from the raw edge of you quilt top to the raw edge of your backing fabric and quilt batting. There should be a minimum of 3 inches between the two edges across the center, top and bottom of the quilt to allow for the shrinkage that occurs during the quilting process.