okay, here's why i DO use sheets on the back of my quilts. (customers don't want them and i don't argue, but i use them on my projects.) i always knew that the back of quilts was the best looking...the first thing quilters do is to flip to the back to see how the stitches look... hand or machine, they all showed up best on the back. Of course, when i was young the majority of quilts were finished with muslin, bleached or unbleached, on the back. then, one day, i finally realized, 'path of least resistance'..... the muslin looks better and shows all the quilt designs beautifully, better than the front. because it is SOFTER....... so, nowadays, i put sheets on the back because they are NOT softer...so the front is and that's what shows off the quilting..... i know that some people love the blocks, pieced or applique, and i do, too....but the icing on the cake for me is to have just the right quilting to set off what the quilter has already done.... that firm fabric on the back makes the quilt stitches show off best on the front. Now, believe me, i'm buying the sheets on sale, and not the hard surfaced 'thousand count' things....i don't even like to sleep on those things... but the fabric is still firmer than the cotton tops..... try one firm (not hard) sheet on the back and check out the way the quilting looks on the front....