any ideas for a quilt back?
 

I am making a quilt for my niece who is expecting in early February. I was expecting to have until December or January to finish my quilt, well surprise she is coming to town this weekend and so the shower is this week. So I am a little pressed for time. I made D4P from the fire truck fabric with red from that same fabric line and I am pleased with how the quilt top turned out. I used the stripe fabric to make the prairie points. I was going to try to applique on the back a fire truck or something in the firefighting family... but I am not having any luck. Its probably me and because I am trying to rush... anyway I have given up on the applique back because I don't have much time left. BUT since I had the idea of doing something special on the back, now the back feels boring and naked just plain. Does anyone have any ideas how I can put a little interest on the back of the quilt? without being too complicated. I do have some of the solid teal that is the background on the fire trucks as well. I just have no ideas right now

Check out quilt backs on Pinterest for some inspiration. Sometimes just piecing leftover fabric from the front looks good. Maybe an applique of a helmet? Seems easier than a fire truck?

I can't think of too much if you don't want to applique. Do you have any of the firetruck left? You could add even a little bit to your solid, down in a corner or across the top, depending on the amount. Add some of the stripe too if you have any.

I have no ideas for you, but I want to point out that if you wanted to take longer to finish it, you could "give" her the top, and then take it back and finish it the way you had planed. I am sure she would be just as pleased. I know I would. :)

Dina

Just an idea...why not key into the white ladder on the print? You could piece a white ladder into/onto the back quite easily. Would make it interesting and wouldn't take long to do.

I like the ideas you guys have.. maybe I will practice with a fire helmet. It should be easier. I found some clip art with an axe and helmet... is an axe too much for a baby blanket?

What fabric are you using for the back? Do you have enough of the stripe to do a 2"-3" band across the back? You could make the fabric above the band one thing, and the fabric below the band another. That stripe would certainly jazz up a quilt back.

I have some of the solid red, to match the red in the firetrucks. That is a good point.. I could put the red for the top half then a strip of the stripes and then the teal.... if it all looks good together :)

Please show us the front of your quilt .... it might give us some inspiration to give you some more ideas!

Cute fire hydrant here. Maybe you can look at the pic and figure out how to make it.
Also, check out the categories section on the side of the page. You may see something that you could do.

http://www.gogora.net/fire-truck-quilt-pattern/

Thanks for the link tapper. I am at work (don't tell the boss :) ) I don't have a picture here, but I can post one when I get home

Here is the quilt top...its not perfect but its my first D4P and my first prairie points

Oh, that is cute!! You have done a good job. Anything you do on the back of this cutie will be just right.

Dina

Looks perfect to me! How about just getting a 'dalmation' (spotty print fabric for the backing? Babies seem to love dots!

If you have enough of the coordinating fabric, an easy back design is to make one or two rows of the D9P blocks horizontally across the back. I like to place this row of blocks about 1/3 way down, not in the middle. Then you can use plain white or other solid fabric for the large 1/3 and 2/3 pieces of the remainder of the back.

I would use flannel with fire trucks on it for the backing.

You can make a giant 9 patch or 4 patch. I usually work with what is left overs. I am planning on making a very large pink ribbon on the back of a quilt for my best friend. Good Luck !!

I thought this also. Would give you time to find a backing you really like.

I have not ruled out the possibility of giving it to her later. Its just that she lives several hours away and I don't know when she will be back. I don't want to mail it to her because I want to see her open it up......she MIGHT be home again for Christmas, but you never know with in laws and then being pretty big and prego :)

You could just make the Back in long fabric Stripes lengthwise using all the Fabrics.. or just solids and maybe piece a Ladder or you could make smaller Appliques like a spotted Dog , a helmet a Firemans boot or a Ladder or Hose in each Corner..??

Yep, that would be perfect!!

I made a quilt last year and bought a sheet, tie-dyed it (rinsed it really well) and used that for the backing. The recipient really liked it as she said either side looked great. I used tie-dye colors that were the same as in the fabric that I used for the front. Other than that I have given 2 quilt tops that I didn't get finished in time and took them back to quilt. That went over very well.

I have never tie dyed, but that is a really good idea. Might not use it for this quilt, but I think I will keep that in mind. I am slowly making decisions... I have changed to use the solid teal as the back instead of the read. (the solid teal is the border material). I made a row of a herringbone pattern using the red and the blue fire truck pattern. Its about 5-1/2" wide. I think I will put that horizonatally, and I am thinking about doing a vertical row as well.. just don't know if I want to stick with the herringbone pattern or mix it up and throw something else in? Since the backing will be teal that opens the applique back up.. I will have the red fabric to do a fireman's helmet.. maybe we'll see how brave I am :) Thanks for all of your thoughts.. every idea helps me a long and even if I don't use it now I keep it in mind for my next project

You could run some red bias strips in loops and squiggles across the back and where it ends, put a hose end on it. Simple. I would use Elmer's glue for the placement, then hand stitch it down while watching TV one evening.

madamekelly - that is a good idea with the hose. I kept thinking there should be an easy way to do a hose. I will have to practice and see if I can do a "hose end" sounds simple I know, but I am limited to my own skills here :) Thank you

Looking at the fire trucks how about making the back with a ladder going up the center? Use the red fabric for the back with a white ladder. You could even applique a boy firefighter by or on the ladder.

Forgive my drawing, but here is a simple hose pipe end for you.

Try finding a really elementary coloring book and copying a fire truck and using the fabric of your choice and fusing it to the back and quilting it down. That would simple, quick, and would echo the ideas from the front.