Backing.....what do you do .....???
 

ok....so I have been sewing, piecing and quilting for ever.....
was working on 'sandwiching' a lap quilt today and wondering......what do you consider a 'general rule'
for backing fabric....
Print or solid.....
seam down seam across.....
cut off salvage edge ????
match bobbin thread to backing color or.....
match bobbin thread to top thread so it doesn't show on top ?????

This is my rules:
If the selvage won't show through, I will leave it in and do 1/2" seam. Selvage edges don't ravel.
I personally don't think the direction matters on the seam unless you take it to a longarm quilter - then you follow their rules.
I'm not the greatest quilter so I go with a print that will hide my stitches. Same with thread.
Good luck! I'm sure it will be beautiful no matter how you do it.

Backing fabric depends upon the quilt top fabric.

I like seam vertical but preferably not in the middle.

Definitely cut off selvage edges.

Match bobbin to backing, top thread to top.

All of my backings have been pieced using left over fabric. So my backs are very scrappy and fun.

I use light color backing and I quilt backing side up because I always do all over squiggles. As a main thread, the one that will show on the backing I use variegated thread, and In the bobbin I use whatever is neutral and will not be too obvious on the top. This is fairly unorthodox approach to quilting but I like it. As for the pieced backing I try to stay away from it if I can since I can never line the seam just right. If I absolutely have to I use wider seam allowance and press it open.

for backing fabric....
Print or solid..... depends on the top- often a print

seam down seam across.....across since i'm a long armer---always across---if not being long armed it does not matter so much.

cut off salvage edge ???? ALWAYS!!! the salvage is a tighter weave and will shrink differently than the rest of the fabric. the salvages should always be cut off --- then you can always save salvages & make something with them- or pass them on to people who use them for other projects.

match bobbin thread to backing color or..... of course

match bobbin thread to top thread so it doesn't show on top ????? if your tension is right your bobbin thread will not show on the top- the bobbin should match your back- the top thread should go with your top. even tension keeps both on their respective side.

I like to use a print background if it goes with the front. However, I stay away from stripes and plaids -- if they are off-grain even a small amount, it doesn't look good. The quilt that I just finished had the backing and borders made from a black fabric with tiny white dots arranged in rows. I wasn't off much, but it bothered me to see my imperfection.

In general, seams go where needed to make the fabric on hand fit. I always pre-wash my fabric, so I can tell what the selvage will look like. I usually cut it off.

Dayle

I now go across with my backings. Selvages always off. I like print on my backs. Planning to start piecing the back with different chunks to make it more interesting If you think about it the back is usually the largest amount of single fabric so why not make it interesting?

I try to pick a backing color,to be able to use the same color thread for front and back.

On the back i try for a print, this way if it gets a spill it wont show.
i quilt by hand

I started out with printed backings to match the fronts as I've only made large lap quilts (some are actually twin size, but will be used as lap quilts.) Then I came up short of fabric and used some braids to make it bigger. Now I like stacked coins or something to break up the expanse of sameness. I have even made a full quilt for the back because I didn't like the front - now I do, so that daughter got a bonus. I use thread that may match something in both sides. My FMQ machine (Singer 301) doesn't show anything so I can have red varigated on the top and yellow on the back. I did like a blue varigated on the back of a dotted dark blue back. It was a QOV and the quilted stars showed up that way. In others words, don't worry too much. Once it's stitched, it all goes together (within reason, of course).

I've even put pictures on the back when I ran out of space on the front. I was concerned about the quilting, but finally decided the front was the feature and quilted like I needed to, though I did avoid the girls' eyes.

I usually use a print on the back. Sometimes is in the quilt top and sometimes not. for thread I usually use something that blends. If there is enough of the fabric left from the top to make a scrappy back I will do that.

I usually go for prints on the back...something to coordinate but not match the front.
Usually cut off selvedge but not always
Seams on the back - wherever they need to be to make the backing fit the front
I hand quilt so there is no bobbin!

I use prints and solids for backs have also pieced the backes. Salvage off, I long arm so back seam across or any which way when I piece the back. Thread- that depends, usually nutral or a color that blends. Latley I have been trying contrasting colors, boy do I have to be careful with my patterns!LOL

Prints on the back where possible. Take off the selvages. I seam on the diagonal (ala John Flynn) for lap quilts and piece the larger ones.

Most of my quilts have solid or ToT neutral color backs with a contrasting thread so the quilting really pops on the back. I've done a couple of pieced backs - mostly to use up small amounts of fabric i had left over from the top. I have a couple of quilts that have a white back that I had white thread put on the back for a special effect. Sometimes the top has a different color thread than the back. Sometimes I have the top thread matched to the top and even to the blocks so it seems sucked into the top. Sometimes Not. Seams? Whichever way they fit :-) All of the above are decided based upon the look and feel of the quilt top once it starts coming together. and selvages are always trimmed off. All of my quilts are LAQ'd.

As a longarm quilter, I always advise my clients to trim the selvage off then use a 1/2 inch seam. The selvage can tend to draw up. If you can test out your thread on scraps of fabric and batting you will be able to tell if your tension is good enough to use different color thread in the top and bobbin. If your tension is really nice you can use a plainer back to show off the quilting.

I made a scrappy quilt I call "Bull's Eye on Point". It had many different colors in it. I couldn't spend any money on a backing so I took 12" squares of many different materials that were in the front and made a back for it. I think it turned out ok. The only picture I have of the back is what Charisma posted. Here is the link.
Twinkie's Scrappy Drunkards Path...quilted by Charisma

when quilting I once heard a comment made by a judge when she was trying to find fault with a quilt nothing wrong on front so she was looking on the back to see how even those stitches were and the fabric was very busy really could not see any stitching and the judge said "One Smart Lady Did This" the quilt won a ribbon

I really don't have any hard set rules regarding the backside of a quilt.....but....I do have a few preferences....LOL.

1. I prefer not to use stripes or an obvious directional print (difficult for me to keep straight)..... small prints or solids are ok.

2. Pieced backings are ok and since I quilt all mine on my Janome 6600, the direction of the seams don't matter.

3. Bobbin thread color is individual to each quilt. Some quilts will just scream at me to use a thread color that will stand out. Others need to blend.

4. Selvages always cut off, as they might shrink differently than the rest of the fabric.

5. Always prewash....I take no chances with bleeders.

on a baby or child's quilt, I try to put something interesting for them to look at - a print with woodland animals, buildings, fun shapes. For my niece's quilt, I used one of the piecing fabrics from the front, with a larger repeat of a town.

I do whatever works. I prefer the backing is the same as or coordinates with one of the fabrics on the front. Sometimes I have enough fabric left, sometimes not. I prefer prints rather than solids - just personal preference. I usually piece my backs. I prefer the seam lengthwise and not in the center, but I do whatever the amount of fabric I have dictates. Sometimes I do scrappy backs with leftover blocks and miscellaneous pieces from the front. It's your quilt. Do what works.

Backings for me are determined by the amount of fabric I have, and measurement of quilt. If I can do it all with one fabric, I will piece the back the way that uses the least amount of fabric-usually a crosswise seam for twins/doubles, and lengthwise seams for queen...and if I don't have enough of a fabric, but still want to use it, I will piece my back, if I can using leftover fabric from the front of the quilt, otherwise fabrics that coordinate. There is no wrong or right way-just whatever works best for you.

Thank you everyone for your imput. So much of all of this I already knew and was doing, but I guess I wanted to know what the rest of the world was doing.....Have tried to always cut off the salvage edge, sew a 1/2" and then rotary-pink the seam, really lays nice and flat........
Was using muslin/solids for my backs and then switched to prints, love the prints so much better, and yes love scrappy backs, try not to let anything go to waste........
Usually match my bobbin to top so don't have to worry about the "dots".....and yes if back is similar to front that really makes life a lot easier......

I buy the extra wide 108 fabrics if I can get a good price or have a coupon at JoAnn's. It saves time and looks nice even wrong side up on the bed. I usually make queen sized quilts with this backing. If I am making smaller quilts I sometimes piece them but that is double trouble.

My long armer wants the selvedges off. So, I cut them off. I make my backs interesting. I add to them. They've never been solid except one. I always use different fabrics for the back, jazz it up. My LAer doesn't care if the seam is down or across so I do down. I usually have 6-8 pieces in my backing, at least, if not more.

Use a print if you are learning and/or don't want your stitches to show too much on the back.
Seams vertical or horizontal depends on how much fabric you have, not so much on the look because once it's quilted it is almost invisible anyway. I like to cut off selvedges because they will sometimes pucker after washing and be unattractive. I'm more concerned about matching the top with the thread than the back, but when possible the bobbin should match the backing. If tension is correct it shouldn't pull through to the top. All these are just my opinion. That's one of things I love about quilting...you can really just do what you want. It's your quilt.

Well, I use Joannes coupons for 40 to 50% off one cut of fabric and get the 90" wide good smooth muslin....I have a hard time putting large pieces of lovely fabric on the back of quilts when I could use it for another quilt top. With 90" wide muslin I usually don't have to worry about piecing the back....if I do use regular fabric I seam it together with about a 1" seam----then snip into the selvage every 3 to 4 inches.....works for me and what I was taught by another quilter.

Sometimes I use w on w or ow on ow, fabric that has nothing to do with the top. Sometimes fabric that is in the top. Sometimes wide backing fabric. Just depends on who is gettting it. I always cut off all selveges, If its pieced I sew an 1/2" seam and press open.

hi i do the same, use the wide backing, with what ever backing suits the theme of the front, stitching can be seen or not, up to you. I try to make the back look good too, so you end up with two looks for on the bed etc.

janedb

If I have a dark top and the bottom is light, I use a light thread for the bottom but it well show on top a tinny little speck. I have a new Bernina. I tried to get them to take it out but they say that it is supose to be that way. They told me to match both threads if I don't want it to show. Do you ever have this happen to you?

cut off the selvage, because it is woven tightly and could skew your quilt slightly or not have the same amount of give as the rest of the quilt.

it sounds like the tension is slightly off, and no one wants to work on the bernina to get it corrected.

I have only been piece quilting forabout 2 yrs now, but I love plain muslin for the backs of my quilts. I use thread or pearl cotton (for tying) to match the top. Nobody has complained yet. smile.....Quilts for little folks I do use a matching print .