Watson

My quilt is 50" x 50".

I have 2 yards of fabric that is 44" wide.

My brain is refusing to figure out the best way to cut the fabric to make a backing.

Any ideas?

Watson

toverly

My favorite way to make up the width is to either use extra blocks from the front or just fabric from the front cut into squares. I have made them columns and rows. Off set, never in the center.

platyhiker

One option is to cut your fabric diagonally and then shift the two pieces along the diagonal so that you get the width you need.

Here's a picture that may explain it better than words can. The first shape (a square) shows what you want to end up with. The second shape shows what cuts you need to make in the yardage. (The exact numbers for the 8 / 42 divide depend on the exact (usable) width of your fabric and your desired seam allowance.)

Caveat: I have never tried this method myself. I have read of the technique in multiple places as a way to eke out additional width for a backing when you don't have much fabric to spare. Advantages of the method are that all the fabric remains in the original orientation (so no having stripes running the "wrong" way on the added piece) and that the seam is not going to end up being on a fold line when/if the quilt is stored.

bearisgray

Is your fabric an over-all print?

Are there any issues for matching or direction?

How much "extra" do you need/want on the edges? (How much larger than the front/top does it need to be??

Can you put contrasting inserts/blocks in it to make it look coordinated with the front?

Sometimes pieced backs with several fabrics look a lot more interesting/better than a "one-fabric only back".

juliasb

I have leveled my fabric length wise and seamed down the middle both parallel and horizontally. That works too. I like mixing fabrics for backings on smaller quilts. There are so many different ways some plain but interesting and other that speak to the theme of the quilt mixing fabrics.

Peckish

I've used the diagonally-pieced backing technique referenced above several times successfully. I really like it. Here is an easy-to-use calculator from Jinny Beyer. Download it and it will make the calculations for you.
https://jinnybeyer.com/wp-content/up...-Worksheet.pdf
Watson, I made some assumptions about your situation, I *think* you might have enough fabric for a diagonal backing. I filled out the form and said you wanted the backing to be 55 x 55, and that your chosen fabric is 44" wide. It says you need 2.04 yards.

OurWorkbench

Some links to do the diagonal cutting. According to the first link at the "Diagonal Pieced Back" you can put your numbers in and it says that only 58 inches are needed of 44 inch wide fabric.
https://www.flynnquilt.com/free-lessons.htm and https://media.rainpos.com/4991/diagonalpb1103.pdf
https://jinnybeyer.com/wp-content/up...-Worksheet.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ebZG0CReGM

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

Peckish

I don't think that includes the extra backing needed for attaching to rollers, etc. Her quilt is 50 x 50, which if you use those numbers does turn out to be 58 inches of backing, but I added 5" to each side as recommended on the worksheet and the calculations came out at a bit over 2 yards is needed.

Watson

Thanks, I think I'll do it this way.

Watson

Tartan

My favourite look is to use 2 different but complementary coloursand then put a row of 4 patches in the 2 colours down the centre. It looks like a large zipper in the middle.