Backing Fabric... Where from?
 

I have finished a couple of quilts and thought I would try to get some backing fabric. Does anyone know where I would be able to get some? I looked at my LQS, but just can't afford $19 a yard right now with me having to finish up so many quilts with backings. Thanks to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

I piece my backing with left overs from the front. Backing does not have to be the extra wide fabric. Some of the ladies use sheets.

Try shopping online. Connecting threads has fabric for $6.oo per yard, most online fabric sellers have clearance fabric for a reduced price. My mother used muslin for all her quilt backs. No need to pay high prices for a backing fabric.

I have used sheets, left over fabric (pieced blocks), fabric from garage sales or thrift stores and good quality fabric in the clearance bin at Joanns, Hancocks, Hobby Lobby or Walmart. I've also purchased the 108" wide fabric at one of the afore mentioned stores using my % off coupon, so it was reasonable. So I have several places to purchase backing fabric without breaking the bank. Good luck.

I like to buy my backs here. The prices are reasonable.
http://www.thousandsofbolts.com/inde...category_ID=26

This is where I have gotten most of mine. I would start here. I really like the quality too.

I bought some from Joannes using my 50 percent off coupon and had it shipped to the house. I bought the one that had flannel on it extra wide for 6.99 a yard. You can also use regular material and sew on a strip. I like the ones that get creative and use strips from the front.

If you have a thrift store near you, used sheets make good backings. At my goodwill store, they carry all sizes and if you need to piece them together, that will work to. Good luck in your search.

Depending on what you're using the quilt for...since mine are mostly wall hangings, I scour LQS for marked down fabrics with lots of yardage and neutral colors. I can't imagine paying top dollar for fabric that really won't be seen.

fabric.com carries alot of wide backing fabrics- regular cottons, muslins, flannels, batiks- in various price ranges---from about $8.95 a yard (yes, for 90"-108" wide) up to the $19 a yard your lqs has. they also have free shipping at $35 so its pretty easy to meet....i've been buying backing fabrics from them for years.

I've gotten wide backing at Wide Fabrics and have been very satisfied with quality, selection, service, everything.
http://www.widefabrics.com/

Also, Craft Connection is having a sale on wide backing from 11/21 to 11/27, 15% off all in stock backings, if you can wait a bit. It's one of their ever changing weekly sales events.
http://www.craftconn.com/

I get quite a bit from there and also fabric.com. If you look around on fabic.com's backing section, there are some for $8.95/yd, 108" wide, free shipping. Can't beat that.

check out John Flynn's method for making a diagonal seam in th back. You can extend 45" fabric to 60" wide. Requires less than a yd additional in order to make it this way.

I use sheets.. and I found a thrift store that get new sheets in all the time... They get them from Kohls.. If you live on LI.. There are two Unique stores.. I bought a brand new king size set that was originally $17, and since it was a 50% off day, it cost $8.50.. My sister in law took the fitted sheet.. Now that I think of it.. I think Unique is also up in the Bronx..
Barri

I have purchased from this site also. I just received a wide backing from them this past week. Very nice. I will order from them again.

I buy from www.marshalldrygoods.com, their 108 inch wide is $7.99 a yard.

I just piece together larger pcs of my less fave fabric for the backs

I do that too, but I'm running out of those ;-)

Thousands of Bolts is one of my favorite sources for fabrics too! LQS fabrics at great prices.

I bought a pretty blue and white flowered backing from them recently and it was about 11.98/yd and I needed 3 yds so I got free shipping! The fabric was very nice.:o

You also might check ebay, I've got some awfully good buys and wonderful fabric.

check marshallsdrygoods.com they have lots of wide backs under that price. Do an internet search with the term wide back fabrics and you will come up with some others.

I agree completely. I ordered one from Fabric .com ... quality was not nearly as good as Thousands of Bolts

I like to use flannel but have started piecing my backs.

Usually from clearance fabric. My local quilt shop sells flat folds for $3.98 a yard. This is for high quality fabric such as Moda, Timeless Treasures etc. They take it off the bolt when it gets past season, or there isn't that much left, and move it to the flat fold table. I look there each time I go with backing fabric in mind. Rarely is there enough to piece a larger quilt, but as someone else mentioned, you can piece your backings and have them look quite nice, and really, more interesting than just a huge backing of one color. For lap sizsed quilts, many times there is enough. Our LQS also discounts fabric on bolts, and I check it as well, considering what might look best for backing. I used to use muslin, but every stitch shows! and it shows dirt easily. Sheets have such a tight threadcount that they are difficult to quilt through. I would suggest keeping an eye out for backing fabric when you are shopping, keeping in mind the project you are making. Most of us aren't too inclined to pay a fortune just for backing.

In the UK, Ikea do 150cm (about 60in) wide cotton fabric, until now mostly plains, but they've just brought out a very pretty range of polka dots and florals. Don't know if they sell them in the US as well.

I piece mine most of the time now. Sometimes the back has some of the fabrics from the front, sometimes not. I usually start with a large rectangle of fabric, the width of the fabric, like 60x40, then extend all sides with 10" strips and squares (cut to 10.5 inches). I sit down with a tablet and graph it out. Easy to do in even increments of 10". I start with a rectangle because my quilts are rectangular, not square.

Joyce

There are a lot of sales on fabric now on online fabric shops and also at JoAnn's and Hancock.

I buy most of mine from Ebay as they range from AU$3.99 a metre (sorry, we dont use yards here in Oz).

I shop online a lot and if I find a fabric for $3 a yard and it is a good choice for a backing I buy enough to use for backings.
If I want a large size fabric backing and need it now, sometimes will use a coupon at Joanns for wide muslin.

Connecting threads has quite a large selection of clearance fabrics on sale right now - most from $3.00 to around $3.50 per yard. They also have free shipping over $50 so stock up!!

I have some 108 inch natural backing (100 % cotton) that I will sell for $6.00 per yard + postage. Just PM me if interested.

DH and I were at an upholstry shop to get pads for camping and I was surprised to see a HUGE room of fabrics. Some were heavy but many were not. I bought 3 pieces to cover the pads (sneaky, because we only bought 2 pads) and the last piece just "happens" to be big enough to back a queen size quilt. It is a pinch sturdier than regular quilting cotton and a fraction of the price. And wide enough to be used in one piece.

One way to use up strips of left over fabric is to piece them for the backs of quilts. You can put different blues together, prints with solids, etc. It doesn't take much time because you can make them large (or simpy just use them w/o cutting if they are the "right" size). The danger of this is that sometimes you may see your quilt on your daughter's bed with the back side up. "I like to change it sometimes and enjoy this side too." Oh well. People used to put plain muslim on the backs and you can still find some at quilt shows today. Piecing is even better.

Google Oklee Quilt and Supply in Oklee, MN, they do on-line/phone orders. A small town in N MN. All wide is $7.99 yd. Big little company!!

I watch Joannes sales. They will have the red tag fabric for an additional 50 per cent off. This sales starts this Friday. I just sew two lengths together. I get lots for $2 or $3 a yard. I always buy whatever is left on the bolt and look for ones with alot of fabric.

Thank you so much for everyone that has offered me so many different websites. I found a fabric I really liked at marshall dry goods, just waiting for an email back as far as how much the shipping would be.

I was at Joanns yesterday and decided to look at the fabric. Well I was surprised to see Kona Cotton there. The price was 7.99 a yard and with my coupon I got 50% off. So I purchased 10 yards just to use for backing. I figured after quilting it the back would look great. Just a thought as like you I cannot afford the price at my LQS for backing.

I love the 120" wide fabric I get at either Joann's or Fabric.com...usually about $9 a yard (not bad when you consider it is so wide). I try to buy at Joann's when I have a 40% or 50% off coupon!

Your backing fabric can be from any fabric you can afford. You don't need to have it all one piece. Piecing it together doesn't in any way deter from the quality of the quilt. :)