Diagonal Piecing Backing Question
 

I have read about piecing your backing with a diagonal seam which I wanted to try on my completed Judy's mystery quilt #3 top. I have a piece of fabric long enough, calculated 7.9 yards needed using this site,

http://www.multi-patch.com/html/diag...calculator.php

But who has floor space to lay it out flat to do the diagonal cut????? I don't have a room that is 24 foot in any dimension. Is there another way to try and get that done that you have success with?

I guess when the rain stops I may be able to take it outside and do it in the driveway :rolleyes:

There's something seriously wrong with that calculator - observe below.

I wouldn't use this method for a large quilt back; I think it's only appropriate when you have a small quilt and are just a tiny bit short on fabric to do traditional horizontal or vertical piecing. As you point out, cutting a large piece diagonally is difficult, and sewing that long diagonal seam without it warping on you is almost impossible.

http://www.multi-patch.com/

You can't use it that way. It is limited (although apparently doesn't error out) to backing 150% of the fabric width. So you could only do 60" backing with your fabric width. You can however put in 80" fabric width (meaning, you seam it first). Then, the calculator gives 2.17 yards for this particular quilt - which means 2.17 yards 80" wide, or 4.34 yards of 40" fabric.

Quilt adict - your 7 yards seems too long, so maybe you made the same mistake? 7 yards would make a backing 80x126 with regular seaming. And note that you don't have to lay out 7 yards of fabric to cut diagonally. Cut in half, seam, then lay out 3.5 yards (by 80") to cut diagonally.

Here is John Flynn's diagonal cut backing. I have used it successfully and added some left over strips for interest. I was on the 1st quilt I entered in a show and I got a compliment for it. It has a diagram too. (I love pictures!)

http://www.flynnquilt.com/media/uplo...onalpb1103.pdf

Yes that is the method that I was trying. maybe my back is too wide to make this work once I add the excess on the sides.

Thanks for your input.