The quilt police will get us --people at the quilt shows will be horrified, but I have backed and pieced for years with sheets. The only problem is that 100% cotton 180 count percale sheets (from WalMart) are a thing of the past -- now it's 200 count sheets with polyester (I need to check again)-- so be careful. My quilts have washed beautifully; the only things that have worn out are the handstitching connecting my patchwork blocks on the backside.