J.M.

Last december I bought background fabric for a quilt, I needed 11 meters but they only had 7 on roll - but they could order it, they said. All right, I bought the 7 meters, but it is now august and they still have no idea when the rest of my fabric is going to be in. So I found another store - a webshop I had ordered from before - that had the same fabric. Everything matched, number, line, brand, even the picture. But now I've got it and although it is the same fabric, the color difference is BIG. I have no idea why, different color bath, maybe the fabric from the store was out in the light too long, I don't know. But there is no way I can use both of them in my quilt. *cries*

Luckily I haven't started my quilt yet (I was smart enough to wait until I had all my fabric), but now I have a dilemma. I need to start searching for a good background fabric again (difficult enought the first time) and I need 11 meters of it (almost impossible to do, even though it need not be one piece); or I could use the 7 meters I have and find another fabric that looks nice with it and use that for all the sashing. The last one seems like a good option but I don't know if the 7 meters will be enough for all the blocks (they say about 7 1/2 yards for this quilt, which means I might just have enough - or I might just be a bit short, probably the latter), and it would change how I want the quilt to look. But after almost a year, I am dispairing of actually finding 11 meters of fabric...

onthelake

I think I would use the original 7 meter purchase and find another fabric that looks great with it instead of buying all new fabric.

patski

you don't have to use one piece for the backing, If the 2 fabrics you have work together use them and a 3rd fabric between to blend, like use fabric1/ then a blender in the center and then fabric 2. I seldom use 1 piece for my backing. Good luck, just be creative, it will work out

TootieAnn

I'm so sorry this happened. I think you should use what you have and find another fabric that looks nice with it. I think you will probably have enough. If you are short one or two blocks, maybe you could use a "make-do" fabric. If you don't want to do that, perhaps someone on the board has your fabric. You could post a picture and see. If you're worried about it matching what you have perhaps you could ask the seller to send you a small piece so you can see it before you buy. Let us know how this works out. And please don't cry! We'll help you through it even if all we can do is listen and sympathize. We do that really well on this board! Good luck!

MissM

Yes, I agree. I have done this before and it looks terrfic. Do a search for some backs and get some new ideas...that what I did.

Quilter7x

That's exactly what I would do. If I have to piece the backing, I want to do it in a way that doesn't look like it had to be pieced. Adding a third fabric is a perfect way to have a backing that doesn't look like it had to be pieced. I hope that makes sense. :lol:

J.M.

It's not so much the backing of the quilt as the background of the blocks (did that make sense?).

I think I will probably pick up another fabric to go with the one I have - although I will admit that I am hesitating as to which one that will be, the 'new' one has a tone that I might even like better. Then maybe do the sashing in both colors, matching the blocks to the sashing... Or do the sashing in a totally different color. *Puts thinking cap on*

Raggiemom

I'm sorry this happened, I hope you're able to find something that works and that you like.

dunster

I think she's talking about background, not backing.

What a shame about the fabrics not matching up well enough. I would probably do some more calculations to see if I could what I needed out of the 7 meters and then go with the coordinating fabrics for the sashing. I might put the whole thing in EQ7 and play with it as far as design. Good luck!

irishrose

You'll have enough. A meter is approximately 3" longer than a yard, so if you have 7 meters, you have 7 5/8 yards. Find a coordinate and have at it!