Can anyone show me photos of backings they've pieced?

Are there any guidelines on how intricate or plain it should be?

I do it out of necessity...not having much fabric, the only problem is matching up front and back for the quilting :D

That's really nice!

Does it have an impact on how you quilt it... do you factor in the backing as well as the front?

Yes, you have to consider the quilting before piecing your backing IF you are fussy lol!! i.e. if you were stitching in the ditching on the front and it didn't line up on the back..... :wink:

I tried to match the backing exactly on the twist n turn quilt...errrrmmm extremely difficult to do, so trimmed off the outside edge and added a plain border...more room for error that way lol!! :roll: :lol:

I have no idea how I'm going to quilt the front, let alone the back! LOL

Let's see a picture of the top for inspiration then :D

i've always toyed with the idea of doing a blue and white or black and white with both the front and the back being pieced in the same design.

i love the idea of photo negatives of each other - so i would do the exact same quilt and just reverse the color placement for the back making them exact negatives of each other.

When I made the backing for the king-size plus quilt, I used 33" squares of the fabrics left over from the front and/or that didn't make the grade to be on the front. The size of the squares was based on the fact that the front squares are 12" each so it wouldn't bother me if the seams didn't match up. (Does that make sense???) It's at the quilters now and will take a pic when I get it back. :roll: :roll:

Thanks Blue Chicken for your questions, and Izy for your pointers! I just finished the green Ribbon quilt top and think I'm going to have to piece the backing. I stitch in the ditch, and wouldn't have thought about what that would have looked like on the back!
:-)

Here is the way I piece my backings. I use one, two, or three different fabrics.


http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/backings.htm

here's a link on how to do a diagonal quilt back - it supposed to save on fabric and makes it easy to roll up and quilt since the seam never rolls upon itself.

http://www.flynnquilt.com/workshop/FreeLessons/

I almost always have to piece my backing. If it's just a solid it's easy, but if it is different squares it can be hard to have everything match up. Those are the ones I just want to stipple quilt.

Thanks! :-)

I love the idea of a diagonal stripe, that would be cool.

I have several triangles and squares of left over material, and rather than put them aside I'd like to incorporate them into the backing. I have 12 labels to go in it too, so I need to plan it!

I think I'll have to be careful to make sure it doesn't line up with the front, I wouldn't be happy if it was supposed to match and didn't!

I love the idea of a mirror image, that would be seriously cool!

I don't have a picture, but for one of my quilts I used a full width of one fabric flanked by a different fabric (split) on either side. Not exactly art but a good stash buster. Haven't done the quilting yet but it will be in the ditch for the Jacob's Ladder on the front.

I have a couple here that I pieced the back. I have only used the wide backing fabric once, I like to get fabrics on sale to use for backs.

I have also put a "cross" in the back using leftover blocks and some extra pieces as well. The cross being the leftover pieces and the non cross being my backing fabrics

TY Klue - this is a great tip to know. Much better than having a bunch of seams. You could still use some of the fabrics from the piecing and include them on one side of the diagonal.

Wow, that would be awesome! I'd like to see that if you ever get it done!

I've still got a headache from the math involved in a diagonal seam! LOL

I made 4 queen or larger quilts this past year and I used a piece back for each quilt. I used fabric 43 inches wide down the center length wise, then a used a coordinating fabric (usually a solid) for a strip on each side of the 43 inches then another piece of the center fabric on the outside of the coordinating fabric. I tried to make the outside seam of the coordinating fabric at the mattress edge and the hang would be the center fabric.

With a 90 inch wide quilt top, I would use the 43 inch center piece, a 10 inch coordinating fabric on each side of center piece then then another piece of center fabric 18 inches on each side of the coordinating fabric. Remember your seam allowances, I am using finished widths. I know this equals 99 inches but when long arm quilting you need extra fabric on each side of the quilt. I then cut off the excess after quilting and use in another quilt top. I like to use my quilts reversable coordinating with my bedroom colors for the backs.

I like to piece all my backs when possible, and try to use some of the fabric or leftover blocks from the front. Placing the back seams on the diagonal eliminates the need to get the seam juuuuust perfect with the front seams.

Here is another

And one more... the entire front of this quilt was trees, trees of all shapes and sizes!

Has anyone tried making the backing in the same design as a crazy cut quilt? I'v done that a few times and it's turned pretty.I just sewed the little scrap pieces in different directions. That way if the backing does get shifted a little,it won't show. It also makes the quilt reversable,at least that what my customers said.