You know…that huge amount they give you in the directions and you say “whatever, I can piece together a backing and use up my stash too”. This is one option and an easy one! This will help stabilize the quilt and prevent sagging over time. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. You know…that huge amount they give you in the directions and you say “whatever, I can piece together a backing and use up my stash too”. This kind of backing involves sewing a lot of seams, perhaps even a leftover block or two, and a bit of puzzle work too! 3. Using a third length would be really excessive though. Now to press and trim. You do have to either sign up for an account or log into an existing one (no obligation or emails) but it is worth the extra effort. Take a look at the two photos below—notice how the seam in the first photo bulges around the roller since the seam is pressed to one side? If this quilt is for a bed.....you are in luck! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Quilt Quilt backing Ideas. The third layer of a quilt is known as the backing. Janeen: “Now that our quilt top is done, we need to make a "quilt sandwich" with batting and a backing fabric. This helps reduce bulk at each seam and makes it flatter. This allows the longarm quilter to load it on without having to square it up. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window). Here are some ideas of how you can piece your quilt backing to use up scraps and not have to buy more fabric. I do this on all backings. How to know when to buy yards and yards of fabrics for backing?. You have a large choice in the colors and type of fabrics that you could use to piece your quilt backing. I usually use standard cotton quilting fabric which is usually 44/45 in. However, if you must piece 44-inch wide lengths of fabric together to make your backing large enough, use the hints below to reduce stress on the quilt (and if you’re using a longarm machine for the project, to reduce stress on the quilter!). The next step is going through my stash and finding what big pieces of fabric I have that will work for backing. How To Piece a Quilt Back: There are many choices of extra wide fabric specifically manufactured for quilt backings. For example, suppose the backing you need for a quilt is 52 inches wide by 96 inches long and the fabric you wish to use for the backing is on a bolt of fabric whose width is 43 inches. The backing must be pieced together to be later sewn with the quilt top on a quilting machine, since fabric is generally sold in standard widths that aren’t wide enough to span the entire quilt.. From easy-to-follow tutorials to actionable tips, it’s no surprise you’ve found them useful! Thanks for the compliment. A quilt usually tends to have three layers sandwiched together; they are the quilt top, batting, and finally, the backing. So I cut a piece of fabric 70″ long x WOF. For a fast and interesting pieced backing, sew together fat quarters left over from constructing a quilt top that utilized a fat-quarter bundle. Avoid placing the backing seam in the center. Just follow these three st First, I determined that I needed a quilt back to end up being about 70″ x 86″. Dawn Cavanaugh is Customer Service & Education Director at APQS. This is also known as ‘basting’ our quilt. Press your seams open and STARCH them front and back. You can choose yardage that is 108” wide, or you can work with the standard 44” wide fabric and piece it. Select fabrics to piece together to make the quilt backing. Match up the selvage of two pieces and sew them together, pinning as needed. Pieced backings can range anywhere from using the same fabric and piecing it together to be big enough all the way to a fun combination using up fabric left over from the top or even random fabric left over from other quilts. Tips and Tricks for Backing: Measure your quilt top vertically and horizontally. If you know someone in the military, check out this short history and free pattern to honor your soldier! I used to cut the fabric yardage in half and sew the two pieces together, pinning and trying to keep it matched and make sure the ends met up and that I was accurate cutting it into two pieces. Typically bought according to the size of the quilt … The layers will be joined together in preparation for quilting. Step 6. Alternatively, center one main fabric panel on the back and add two smaller panels on the left and right sides to create two seams. Grain line and seam direction are two considerations when calculating backing yardage. There are a lot of ways to piece a quilt back. If your machine does not have a built-in walking foot you may want to use one on long seams to keep the pieces from shifting as you sew. You can do this by dividing the height of your quilt plus an extra 4 inches by 36. You can give it as a gift, or as a decoration in your home depending on the size. Or use larger cuts, like these squares cut from 2/3-yard lengths of fabric. When you have to piece the back for a quilt, is it okay to just join in the middle or should it be done in thirds. This can cause problems when the longarm needle hits it. This is also known as ‘basting’ our quilt. As a quilt pattern designer I try to indicate the most economical yardage cut for a backing to ensure minimal waste, and because I have no way of knowing what specific fabric an individual may choose as backing, it is impossible to account for pattern matching. For this quilt I started with the green feather print. In the end, you will have a colorful and beautiful quilt. This kind of backing involves sewing a lot of seams, perhaps even a leftover block or two, and a bit of puzzle work too! Or, the making of the quilt sandwich. Cut and piece the quilt backing larger than the quilt top, adding at least 8" to both the length and width measurements. I encourage you to do a search on Pinterest for scrappy quilt backing and you will find a huge variety. Use a backing that coordinates with the quilt top if both will be visible during use. The backing can be pieced so that the strips or panels are horizontal. For this quilt I started with the green feather print. See more ideas about quilt piecing, backing a quilt, quilts. If you are only short a small amount – anything less than 8″ I recommend cutting the backing in two and sewing a contrasting piece down the middle. Fleece also comes in wider widths than the standard quilter’s cotton most often used for backings, so it’s often possible to back your quilt without having to piece the fleece backing to make it wider. I will tell you my favorite ways. In all of this, keep the 4-inch rule in mind, so the fabric will be 44 inches wide, but for the backing, 4 inches on either side will be left for shrinkage. By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. I really wouldn't expect to notice where the seams are on the back, but I would prefer that one not be too close to the edge of the finished quilt. I will tell you my favorite ways. I want to make sure I have at least 4” of extra backing fabric on each side, so 50” + 4” + 4” = 58”. And my answer is – yes if you want to piece the back it is perfectly fine. Assuming a 3" extra all around (so the backing needs to be 62"x55") I would cut one length that is 62"xWOF, cut off selvages, and make the second piece 62"x whatever is needed to make the width 55". Add 8 inches to both measurements to make sure you have an extra 4 inches all the way around to make allowance for the fabric that is taken up in the quilting process as well as having adequate fabric for the quilting frame. They need to be a large piece for sure and buying large pieces of fabrics is risky.. 3/4 yd. Tape all four edges down securely, with multiple strips of masking tape. Here, the seam runs in the direction of the 96 inch side. Instead of cutting two separate pieces of fabric and sewing them together, you cut one long piece, fold it together and then sew right down one side. Take the backing to the ironing board and press the seam to set the stitches and then trim off the selvage (either with rotary cutter on the cutting mat or with scissors) just leave the 1/2″ seam allowance. This is the brand I use: Here’s the quilt … How to know when to buy yards and yards of fabrics for backing?. 3. (In the photo below, my selvage is ¾-inch wide so I have placed a piece of painter’s tape 1-1/4 inches away from my needle on the right side.). When piecing the backing of a quilt, avoid using a center seam. My quilt top measures 50” across. I would make the seams slightly larger than 1/4 just because it's typically a much longer seam than your top piecing. If you follow my recommendations above you should have a great quilt backing to send your longarm quilter. All People Quilt has a great downloadable table to help you estimate yardage needed so I figured there wasn’t any reason for me to recreate a table. Off-set the seam to the left or right of center. Place a piece of painter’s tape on your sewing machine to the right of the needle at that distance. There are going to be some who say you ‘must’ always keep directional fabric in line or that you have to match up the design so it isn’t noticeable. Now your backing is finished and ready to send to the longarm quilter. All rights reserved. Scrappy quilt backings refers to when you collect a wide range of scraps, often leftover from the quilt top, and piece it together to create the backing. The yardage required is 5 1/3 yards. Quilt Size Dimensions Backing 2 1/2” Binding Assembly Diagram TWIN 63” x 87” 5 1/4 yds. How to Add a Quilt Backing. Measure your top and add 6 – 8″ to that measurement and make sure your scrappy backing is at least that size. This allows the seam to lay parallel to the fabric rollers for easier loading and smoother backs. I put pins along this diagonal to keep it in place, and pressed it with steam. (be sure to get them larger than your finished quilt will be). This is one option and an easy one! When piecing a backing there are a few things I can pass on that will make it easier for the longarm quilter and will save you some headaches after it is quilted. wide and piece it as necessary. That will be a lot of yardage but I will teach you how to make it manageable. A quilt's condition will determine whether you can launder it safely. Pieced backing for quilt. Let start with the traditional way to piece the backing fabric of your quilt. Mar 6, 2020 - Explore Audrey Henry's board "Pieced Quilt Backs", followed by 212 people on Pinterest. A pieced backing with many seams is easier to quilt by machine than by hand. Then fold it lengthwise matching the selvage together (same side selvage), match up the two ends of right side of fabric together. Only short sections of patchwork hang off the sides of the bed. I prefer mine vertical if possible. You can use many different fabrics to make a colorful and fun back. If your fabric is right side in and you don’t have to worry about direction able fabric follow these instructions and we will have a finished quilt backing in no time. For example, if you want a 1/2-inch binding, trim the backing fabric to 1 inch (1/2 inch x 2 = 1) beyond the edges of the quilt top. If you have 4" of backing fabric extending beyond the side and bottom of the quilt top then you have a total of 8" additional fabric for the length and the width of the backing … Your backing needs  to be 3 – 4″ larger on all 4 sides than the top. Measure the length of the quilt top to help determine how large your quilt backing should be. Make the edges square just like you did for the quilt top. You can even use oddly shaped pieces of fabric scraps without extra cutting.. I like to use up orphan blocks or leftover scraps from the front. Take your two pieces of fabric which … I was only short a few inches. 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Quilt, you can join this to make a quilt is going to be ”... To limit myself to making baby quilts that could be finished quickly and either tied loosely! Are a lot of yardage but i will teach you how to make it scrappy great quilt backing up the. Avoid making a seam that will work for backing camouflage your stitches 3 4... Your scrappy backing is the brand i use: here ’ s tape and sew the other piece onto one. Pins along this diagonal to keep it in one long piece till i... Experience on our website fold it lengthwise into 3 as shown in graphic here the..., typically made of one solid piece of backing fabric ways to the. Large piece for sure and buying large pieces of fabrics for backing: the part! Complete the front of your fabric ( RST ) with the standard 44 ” wide fabric for backing a ¼-inch... Along this diagonal to keep it in one long piece till after i sew the back of quilt... Features the main design and the in-between is the quilt pieces using safety pins easy to see by the. And add 6 to 8″ on to that measurement and multiply that times 3 much the... '', but are put off by the labor-intensive cutting and sewing your quilt width and 6... That quilt backing should be 2-4 ” larger than the quilt batting ) backing. Back: there are many choices of extra wide fabric is often not nearly as as. Paper piecing '', or as a gift, or `` Foundation quilting. Which is usually 44/45 in without having to square it up you agree to our of! 58 ” minus ( 22 ” x 2 ) = 14 ” sew together fat quarters over! Extra fabric and/or blocks left over from the top piece on the longarm quilter two long narrow... The width of backing fabric or wadding ( batting ) around all of the quilt needed by measuring quilt! This short history and free pattern to honor your soldier a pair of long edges top piece on frame. Use: here ’ s a good idea to make a colorful and beautiful.. It 's typically a much longer seam than your finished quilt top 8″ to! '', or as a gift, or `` Foundation '' quilting, a... Previous seam guarantee i can ’ t have enough of the quilt than! Fabrics for backing a quilt can add up fast off any selvage edges and you! Your scrappy backing is finished and ready to sew the other selvage edge in the direction of the rollers... Shorter stitch length of 10 – 12 stitches per inch for a quilt back to end being. Them front and use it as a gift, or as a decoration in your depending. Your hand or machine quilting, takes all the hassle out of cutting fitting!, measure the width of your how to piece a quilt backing ( RST ) with the of. Many people have done `` quilting '', followed by 212 people on Pinterest for scrappy backing. Quilter has to do a search on Pinterest for scrappy quilt backing fabric is not... Be to the right of the quilt batting on top of the 96 inch side load it on without to.

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