I'm in need of some fabric for backing a queen size quilt. I do not mind piecing it together, found a great deal on Kona cotton fabrics and was wondering what others experiences were when using this fabric for backings. Thanks so much!

Happy quilting,

I use Kona 99% of the time for tops and backs and I have not had any touble with it. Everything I do is by machine though so I don't know if it would make a difference if you were going to hand quilt instead!

All by machine! :) Glad to hear of your positive experiences! :) Thanks for responding to my query.

Happy quilting,

I use it more often than anything else for backings. Never had a problem. I love the stuff!! Mine are also machine quilted.

Kona cotton would be just fine for a quilt back. Just be aware that your quilting will show up more on a solid color than on a print. That might be good, might be bad, depends on your quilting. I always use prints to camouflage any mistakes. I think prints will also hold up better as the quilt gets used. Any dirt and stains seem to show up a lot more on solids. The design of your quilt might also suggest using either a solid (e.g. for traditional Amish designs) or a print.

Yeah, I got to thinking about that, and so chickened out of getting a solid. Thanks so much for your timely advice. I ended up ordering an off white tot with a flowery print on it. And, I was even able to get a wide backing, so no piecing necessary! Woo hoo! Works for me! :D

Happy quilting,

Thanks, good to know! :D

Happy quilting,

I love the Kona cottons, but for my backs I like to get the extra wide backing fabric so I don't have to piece it. I try to get something with a print for the reasons stated in the previous posting. My quilting is coming along, but isn't the best yet.

I've only been quilting seriously for the last few years, so I have a long way to go. Do you prefer the lighter or darker prints for your backs? I keep hearing folks say use "busy" fabric for our backings, so how do you best define that? Thanks! :)

Happy quilting,

I choose a back color that looks good with the front...I've used both lights and darks. Sometimes I wait until the front is finished to decide. There are times that what works is so different than what I thought would work when I was planning the quilt. Here are a few samples of busy vs. not busy fabric. Busy doesn't necessarily mean lots of colors, just lots of design. The more blank space in the background, the less busy the fabric.