dray965

I really need help. I'm a new clothing-sewer-turned-quilter and have put together a quilt top for my grandson's Christmas present this year. I had to buy more material that normal because the backing I chose is directional and I had to match the pattern in the seams.

This whole process left me with a huge, huge backing which now needs to be paired down to size. It is way bigger than the quilt top all the way around. The quilt top is 51x69 and the back is about 15 inches larger all the way around.

I need it to be square or it will look weird. Right?

I just get weak in the knees when I look at it because I don't know how to cut it out. For instance I am 66 and can't get up and down off the floor, so i can't get down there, which means I need to get it up on my table somehow.

Also the swatch (because of the need to match fabric repeats) is not equal on each end. It looks something like this, but each side of the seam is a full 42 inches wide.:
(I hope this illustration below turns out when I post this.)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
x x
x x
x------------------------------------------------------x (this is the seam line)
x x
x x
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Any one able to help me here?

Thanks in advance,
Dray from Oklahoma