Kathy, you're not slow at all, just distracted by all the chickens and stuff going into your own quilt. lol lol
Carol, I've nearly always pieced the back of my quilts, also. I've done 44 inch center with two side strips to even it out to the edges, I've done 20 inch squares in a complementary pattern to the front, just depends on how soon I stopped the piecing on the front. It it ends up bigger than I anticipated, then I center the main fabric, leaving "seams" to equal portions on either side. Clear as mud?
Tim be the man on this one! Save the fabric where you can, unless it's going to cause confusion and more tough decisions on another quilt. Right, Tim?
:shock:
Sharon