Is it a bad idea to have a batik quilt backing??
 

I have several different batik quilts in various stages of completion and have been considering my quilt backs for these. I have heard that batik backs are hard to hand quilt. I will be having these LA quilted. Is a batik quilt top and back hard to work with for LA's? Anything I should be considering? Thanks.

My longarmer has no trouble at all with 100% batik quilts, front and back. Some might, but she never has. Why not ask the person you're considering to do the quilting before you make your decision on the backing?

I have used batik on the front and back on a couple of quilts, my LA'er didn't have any difficulty. I did try to applique batik a while back on a sample block, it was harder than regular fabric to work with.

I would think of the expense of the batik in com parison with a similiar but moreopen weave.

Sent a Double Wedding ring quilt to LA and he had no trouble at all. Hand quilting I think I a more difficult process. Dif type of fabric compared to cotton fabric quilters use.

pre wash the batik backing
 

I bought a beautiful wide back batik fabric and the longarmer told me she had lots of trouble with it. I had washed it. She had tension issues and was very concerned about the holes left in the fabric. Eventually after washing the quilt a couple times the holes are closed.

Since then I have bought a longarm and I make sure that I wash my batik backings a couple times to soften them up.

Peggy

I've never had any problems with batiks on my longarm. The quilt that's on it now has part batiks, part other fabrics on the back. No tension problems, all is good. If you know the person who will be doing the longarming you could ask if she has any problems with batiks, just in case.

I have one on the LA right now that gave me a fit until I changed the thread....went back to Glide instead of what I wanted to use and now things are lovely. Before I switched, I adjusted everything I could think of, to no avail. Evidently my machine has a mind of its own.....(top and backing are all batik....)

If you are machine quilting it is fine, but is very difficult for hand quilting! Ask me how I know?????

It should be fine for machine quilting.