I always piece the front and backs. I like having two different sides and I can use smaller pieces of fabric for both and don't have to worry about buying too much "yardage." I use a thin cotton batting and have no problems quilting through the three layers, and even with all the seams it's usually not as thick as QAYG can be sometimes. I haven't gotten the hang of FMQ yet so I just quilt it using all-over lines, either diagonals or SITD on the front if it will look ok on the back too.