June 3, 2014 – Pieced Backing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have several options in preparing the back for a quilt.  The first option is using one solid piece of fabric.  Many fabrics are now available in 90-120″ widths and can accommodate up to a king size quilt.  The back for smaller quilts such as a crib quilt or table runner can usually be one piece if the width is less than 40″ or 60″ (depending on bolt of fabric).  A second option for backing is sewing strips together with seams.  For example, for a 66×74″ quilt top, sew two 72″ strips of fabric together at the selvage edge (total fabric needed is 4 yards).  Be sure to sew a seam large enough so that you can cut off the selvage before ironing the seam open.  You will have a backing piece approximately 72×80″.  A horizontal seam (running side-to-side or width of back) works better than a vertical seam (running top-to-bottom or length of back) for a longarm machine.  A third option is a pieced back (see example above).  As long as it is pressed well and the outside edges are square, a pieced back usually works well on a longarm machine.  Please note that a quilt back needs to be 6-8″ larger (width and length) than the quilt top for longarm quilting.  The above crazy quilt has a pieced back and was quilted using sand colored thread and the Vogue design by Valerie Smith.