If I'm making a quilt for someone else, I always find out if they have pets. If they do, I try to keep the backing in a mid-color range and try to make the back fit in with the front and then generally quilt with a lighter thread so it shows up. My thinking is, if they're going to be away at work or whatever, they're going to flip the quilt over so they can keep the front of it clean, so I do what I can to make everything cozy up next to each other without a fuss.