I need a step by step directions as to how to do a simple basic back for a quilt top.

Short story here: I am NEW to quilting and I really mean NEW...I don't know why I have to always start with hard things I just find them a challenge...I DO follow directions to patterns step by step. I ordered several Dereck Lockwood Bargello patterns(love these quilts they fasinate me) the one I chose to do first is "Diamond Lites" done in 12" blocks...took me a few weeks to do but I got the front done I was impressed how well it turned out and even my DH was impressed....Dereck's directions are Great easy to follow....BUT...in none of the patterns is he telling a person step by step how to lay out the material for the back and how to do it....do you cut the material "x" amount inches past the front...do you cut the batting the same size as the top or the back? Is there a tute to step by step how to do the back...I realize there has got to be a million ways to do a back and it depends on the top and of course how a person wants it to look.

What I have is a topper that is 66 x90 the last border for the front is black and the back is to be black...it is to take 4 yards to do the back.

My problem is I Don't know where to start and end....does that makes sense? I am certain I am making this really harder than it is.....I think I just need a push start.

I am attaching a pic of the front before I put the borders on(hope it works...haven't done an attachment before).

Thank You for your help, Roseanna (Jazzmyn)

Make your backing a couple inches larger than your quilt top if you are quilting it yourself. I think Longarmers want an extra 8" (4" on each side) if your sending it out to be quilted.

Surely you're joking. You can't be a beginner and do work like that one pictured.

On the backing, I cut them much bigger depending on the fabrics, quilt them and THEN cut to match.

Others can give you more precise measurements, but I would rather waste a few inches of backing and batting than come up short on them.

Lovely quilt, that's one you might want to take to shows.

Beautiful Quilt top!

I can't answer your question but your quilt is beautiful!

And I travel 5 or 6 times a year for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and will be in Albuquerque in May..Do you live close? Whats the weather like in May?

Amazing! You are far from a beginner. I never use solid fabric for my backing. I still have a lot to learn and since I have to buy the backing fabric anyway, I choose a block I have been wanting to try and make it very very big for the backing, or I do a couple of them. This way I don't have a tons of seams, but I'm learniing and got to try a pattern I have been wanting to try. Sometimes, we end up liking the back of the quilt as much as the front.

LOL.. your statements remind me of what my quilting instructer 15 years ago said as we were doing quilt blocks. I would do the advance ones then work backwards to the easy ones. She said" Lynn do you know how to crawl? every class you start out running." YOUR quilt is beautiful, and I do love the challenges as well. As for the backing size.. I always go larger like some of the other ladies have suggested. I would rather have to much, rather than not enough. I hand quilt so the extras on the sides make me feel safe LOL. I guess I'm still a Newbie as well. :oops: :lol:

if you took those 4 yards, cut in half, turned and sewed together, you would have 72"x about 80"...not enough. if you get an extra yard you can piece enough to make the length work with your 90" top. the backing and batting needs to be about 5" larger (all the way around) than the quilt top, this is then trimmed after quilting is complete..so for your quilt you need a backing to measure 76"x100". you can piece your back anyway you want to. some people use a plain back, some make them scrappy , some just sew big blocks of fabric together until its the size you want...you can do it any way you want to reach the desired size

:thumbup:

WOW!! My first quilt was a log cabin.Super easy.

Thank you for your help....off to buy more black material as my first try to cut the material for the back is TO short and I had a feeling it would Not work, should of asked first and cut later. What a learning experience quilting is.

This quilt top is hanging on my fire place as I said it is before I put the borders on(the picture is a little dark)....I used colors that were close to the colors suggested in the pattern so I could follow the instructions(I am so colored challenged)...and I used cheap material telling myself that if doesn't work it won't be to much of a loss. Had I known it was even going to work I would have used better material. One thing I learned was IF you don't like to follow directions Bargello's are probably NOT for you. Now that I know I can do the Bargello's and understand how they are done I will be making more of them....and since this one was a trial I will probably make it again.

This one is NOT near show quality...a few to many mistakes...but Thank You for the compliment.

missgigglewings I live in Roswell it is about 3 to 3 1/2 hours away from Albuqueque. The weather in May is generally in the 80's to 90's it is hard to say about any rain or wind Albuq. gets it share of both.

Thank you all for your compliments and help,
Have a Great Day!! Roseanna (Jazzmyn)

I'm giving you a link:
http://quilting.about.com/od/finishi...lt_backing.htm

This is about.com Finishing your Quilt Quilt Backing.
I think this site is Wonderful for simple directions; it is quicker than buying a book at this time. If you want to buy a book, check out the Rodale series, at amazon.com for used books. Rodale is wonderfully illustrated. Gives you all the instructions, spells out all the terms...
Here are my own personal Best Tips:
1) Machine stitch your Quilt Top around all edges, within the quarter inch seam line. This prevents stretching, and you can better control flatness of pieced edges at the seamlines.
2) Fold your Backing into Half, then into Quarters, and use your Hot Iron to press in Perfect Crease Lines, so you know Exactly where the MIDDLE falls, in both directions, horizontal and vertical. Much better than chalk marks.
3) On your Quilt Top, Mark your Middle Points with 4 pins, (Top Center, Bottom Center, Left, and Right) which you will match up with the Perfect Crease Lines on the Quilt Back.
4) Ask for Help. Have a confident friend work from the other side of your 3 layers, and with both hands, smoothe, smoothe, smoothe your entire quilt working from center to sides, center to top and bottom, to ease out any extra batting or wrinkles... You will feel inconsistencies with your hands, one under the 3 layers, other hand on topside.
5) Pin, pin, pin, working from Center to sides.
Best of luck to you, your top is very impressive. It deserves to be finished and used.

another option would be to use some leftover blocks/strips or contrasting color from the front between the 2 pieces to do the back. you'd have a horizontal seam if you pieced this way.

Jazzmyn, I also live in Roswell. Do you belong to the Pecos Valley Quilters Guild. You have done a beautiful job on the bargello.

Gorgeous quilt! You did a fabulous job, you must be very proud of it.
I too did a bargello as one of my first projects, they are fun aren't they? Mine still isn't quilted though :-(
I'm a bit scared of attempting a queen size quilt on my little machine so I am practicing on smaller quilts :lol:

Gorgeous quilt! If you have any scraps, just add them to the back to make it large enough. It doesn't have to be a sophisticated pattern, but it will make the back more distinctive. Make the back 2-3" larger all around if you're quilting it yourself, but if you're taking it to a longarmer check to see what her requirements are (usually about 4" all around). Cut the batting about the same size as the backing.

Please don't feel like you are over thinking the backing. Everyone has gone through this. You can piece your backng either vertically or horizontally. The only thing that I watch out for is that the backing is pieced consistantly one way or the other. The only time I've had a problem is if a section of the back is horizontal and the other section(s) are vertical. Sometimes that can cause a saggy spot in the back. And I usually make the backing and the batting a few inches bigger than the top. The quilting process can cause a little shifting, so the extra backing and batting give a little insurance incase that happens.

Jazzmyn,
Your quilt top is beautiful! I love bargello quilts, just haven't made one yet.
When you get ready for the borders, measure your quilt top through the center; that's the measurement for the border strips. Pin your borders on starting in the center of both the border fabric and the quilt top; ease as needed so that your quilt top will be square when you're done. I sew the top and bottom on first, measure again for the side borders and then sew those on.
I cut my backing fabric 5" larger than the top all around and the batting is cut the same size as the backing.
A wonderful book for beginners is: "Quilter's Complete Guide" by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter. It has lots of great instructions and photos.
sewing happily in Texas,
Sharon W.

You top is beautiful.

You night want to invest in that 'little green book:' "The Quilter's Pocket Reference" book by Peggy Scholley. Pretty much all our LQS' have them at their cutting tables for customer reference. You'll be glad you bought it!

ali

You are a brave one to do such a quilt for your very first attempt at quilting. The colors you chose are a good combo and as for a border, you might just want to keep it a thin black one. As for backing I still struggle with it so I'm not the one to give advise, but you will receive great advise and links to help you. Good luck and hope to see pics soon.

Your quilt top is beautiful! I can't really add anything to the advice already given.

If you are sending it out to be quilted, don't put the pieces together witout checking with the person quilting. I have a first time customer who did this. Unfortunately I can't quilt that one because I have to have the piece seperate to go in my quilt frame. You did a wonderful job for being a 1st quilt. Mine should look so good.

Wonderful quilt! My avatar is a Derek Lockwood, too. As far as the backing, it depends on whether you are doing it or sendng it to a Longarmer. If you're doing it yourself, I cut the backing, or piece so that it is several inches longer and wider than the quilt. The batting has to be AT LEAST as big as the quilt. I often have it an inch or two onger and wider, but if I don't have that much, as long as it is the size of the top,it will be fine.

I to as a beginner started out with the hard designs, but not quite as hard as the one you did. It is beautiful. I was told to always go 2-4" past your measurement for backing and close to the same size for the batting. Extra never hurt if you are sending it out.

Also for future reference, I make my tops first, then measure and go buy the fabric. You could use sheets for backing. Problem with this is you have to take out the seams. You can also find fabric 90", 108" and 120". Most LQS have white or neutral. Some places have colors. If you are piecing you backing, less seams are better for quilting. Most of my customers prefer the solid backing.

I think you could enter your quilt in a quilt show. Our area just had one sponsored by AQS and there was a section for "first quilts". Yours is a very stunning first quilt and one that a lot of quilters would consider challenging. Quilters who attend the show would enjoy viewing your quilt so go for it! Part of the reason quilters like to look at quilts is to get inspiration. Your quilt has already inspired me to try the bargello.

ARE YOU KIDDING? This can't be a beginner quilt. It is beautiful!

Roseanna, great job, what a beautiful quilt :)

Here's another suggestion for backing:

http://www.alwaysquilting.com.au/the-art-back.htm

There is a diagonal method that's pretty cool - here is a calculator and nice graphic description on how to do it:

http://multi-patch.com/html/diagonal...calculator.php

OR - purchase some of the wide backing material - lots of stores have the 108" wide fabric!

Enjoy :)

Boy if that's your first I can't imagine what your 10th one will belike. Talk about a challange especially on your very first on. Great job!!!!!!

Jazzmyn - go to Calico Cow Quilt Shop in Roswell and they will be more than happy to show you how to put your quilt together (sandwich). Thay can also give you ideas on how to quilt it etc. They are a very friendly shop. NO I do not have anything to do with them. I live in Alamogordo,NM and when I got there (2hr drive one way), they are so friendly I would refer anyone to them. Even if you are passing thru there you need to stop in.

Beautiful quilt by the way.

I can't believe that is your first quilt. It is beautiful!!
Can't wait to see your second one. ;-))

A beginner? - that's a gorgeous quilt
I tend to buy 108" wide fabric from Marshall, usually 3 or 4 yards, depending on size of quilt. I've been quilting for 30+ years and am just tired of piecing backs. They're very reasonable on fabric prices and sell good quality.

http://www.marshalldrygoods.com

In the last couple of days, there was a tutorial on basting your quilt "sandwich" that might be helpful to you. If you search for "Thread basting your quilt sandwich" on this board, think you should find it.

If you have any scraps from your bargello, you can make it work. Cut your fabric into 2, 2 yard lengths. If you sew them together side by side, you'll have 72" X 84" . You should be able to make either one 72" by 12" or 2, 72"by 6" strips to add to the length. (This is with the seams going side to side on the back instead of top to bottom.
Either add the strip through the middle, or a 6" strip at the top and bottom.
Or just use a coordinating fabric from your stash - you'd only need a yard to make a 72" by 12" strip.
Once you have the 2 back pieces and the strip(s) together, you'll have 72" by 96" (minus seam allowance) which is plenty big for a 66"by 90" quilt.
Let us know how you make out! It's a gorgeous bargello!~!

Machine quilters say they want 6 inches all the way around and then the batting about 3-4 inches all the way around. Jan

Beautiful job for your first quilt!

Very nice bargello. Want to try one myself even more now. Thanks Yonnikka for your instructions about pressing the back for a center. I don't think I ever tried that, always eyeballed it.

Lovely!

That is a beautiful quilt! Can't believe it is your very first one! You have done an awesome job...and don't worry about mistakes...there are some in every quilt.

fantastic job!