ChavezArts

Hi fellow quilters! I am new here and have just introduced my self on the "new kid" thread. I've been straining my brain for awhile on this problem, and thought I would throw it out here to glean from all of your combined experiences!

I am making a king size Amish style quilt. Finished size will be around 110" x 110". The top is complete using typical Amish colors: lots of black, and teals, greys, blues, greens, etc making stars. I only have enough black for about 50% of the back, so intend on using the left over colors to piece together something for the back. I don't intend to do another detailed Amish pattern on the back, I was thinking more along a the lines of something very simple, modern looking so It could be reversible to another style. Because of the king size (and planning on taking to a long arm quilter to quilt) I think I will have to use three widths of fabric to cover it all. But before I just start randomly cutting and piecing together blocks of black and color, I was wondering if anyone had an idea on how to approach this. I'm worried about making a big mess that doesn't look very good.

Anyone have some ideas on how to approach this? Thanks in advance for your help!

michelleoc

You could use black for the top and bottom portions of the backing, and use strips of the colored fabrics for the middle portion. That would be simple and clean-looking.

ArtsyOne

Try entering "modern quilts" on Google Images - there are some really beautiful ones that would go nicely with your Amish-style front. Flickr also has a gazillion images under Modern Quilts. Do post a photo - we'd love to see what you've done.

PaperPrincess

Take the free "Creative Quilt Backs" class at craftsy:
http://www.craftsy.com/class/creative-quilt-backs/117

nygal

Thank you for posting that link!!

Gladys

My first thought was a braided back. That would be up to you but I think it would be beautiful.

QuiltnNan

one thing to keep in mind, seen here so many times, is that the LAQ may not be able to keep your backing centered. another thought is that another layer of bulky seams may cause problems with needle/thread breaking. you might want to check with your LAQ on these thoughts.

AlienQuilter

Excellent idea!

KarenR

How about doing a quilt like Stackable 1 for the back. Amish on front and modern on the back.

katier825

I just made a back for a large quilt and used large rectangles in a brick pattern. By large, I mean almost 1/2 yd each rectangle. I cut them all down to 16-1/2 x 32-1/2. You could do similar between the pieces of black. This pic is a sample of how it looked as I laid out the colors. I don't have a finished one to show you yet (it's on the way back from being quilted by Charisma). You can see it on her blog. I love how it finished up.

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