Once, but only on a lap quilt....still not fun! :cry:

I'd just take loose as much as I need to ADD the extra fabric.

can't you just unpin a little, enough to give you room to manipulate the sandwiched quilt and add a piece to the back? I would give it a try before undoing the whole thing

Instead of removing all the pins and starting over, could you pull back the top and hand stitch of machine stitch the 6" or so onto the batting that is in place? Just a thought :o)

I had it once that I hadn't placed the top on straight so by the end of the quilt, I ran off the edge at the bottom. It hasn't happened again. Now I measure one on top of the other and if necessary add "interesting" stripes to make it bigger than the top. I'd rather trim 5" off than run short.

What is Pinmoors? I have been searching online and cannot find it???

I checked out the website too--what a great idea. Thanks for the tip.

Been there done that, now I always check, and then check again. Just think how creative you can be extending the backing.

How many pinmoors would you say you would use for a small quilt? Say 50x60" - a baby's quilt. I see they come in 2 sizes of packages and do not know which to buy. Would rather try the smaller one but do not want to waste money ordering them twice if I need 100.

I have done that, I added extra fabric! :?

I guess I'm one of the fortunate few. I've not had this problem yet. I'm sure one day it will happen to me, but in the meantime I'm going to hope it doesn't.

been there done that, don't want to ever do that again.

I must say I have to agree with all of the comments listed. You only do mistakes once! So sorry for your loss of fabric!

I did one even worse recently. Got my table runner all quilted and was ready for the binding then realized I forgot to add a border GRRRR I feel for you but it is fixable for you guess what i am saying is look for the silver lining.

I tie my quilts, so backing goes on frame first, then the batting and then the top...two quilts ago I had first two layers on it then layed the top on and yup, you guessed it...backing was too small. Lucky for me I took the top off and looked in the chest and found a top my mom had pieced and it was smaller so put that one on instead and kept on with my endeavor. Then I went out and purchased another backing, big enough this time and continued on with the big quilt! As I said, I was lucky. Pinning three layers onto the frame is not fun so I'm glad I could use that backing with the smaller top.

I just did it yesterday! I feel for you.

I am numerically challenged! so I have had that happen more than one time....now I take them to a quilter and she figures it out for me.

Elaine, what purse pattern is that on your avitar?

Look at it as another opportunity to be creative. Many members of my guild present quilts with really ornate, pieced backings. Me, I'm just happy to finish the front! I also spray baste quilts instead of pinning - easier on my arthritic hands.

You didn't mention the length . . . is the length ok, or is there extra? If extra, I saw a neat technique on Fons & Porter that worked well for me. If extra, you cut the backing on the diagonal from top corner, to the bottom opposite corner. I know this sounds drastic, but try it on a piece of paper to see how it works. When you have 2 very long triangle pieces, you slide one piece down, until you get the width need. Then, mark, sew on diagonal at the altered width and of course length. If you don't have enough extra fabric on the length, this won't work. Hope you are able to correct somehow. Good luck, Patty

Think I have made every mistake!

It happened once when the back shrank as I was quilting it..so I "invented" a very unusual binding which was quite wide. Most folk comment on it...however, I still will not be drawn into admitting the mistake...it's quite a joke now. If something goes wrong with anything, my friend's son just says, "Just make it wider!"

In a word....YES!!!

Pinmoors look fantastic!! I think I need some of those.

So many of us know that's not fun at all because we've done it ourselves - some of us more than once. Here's the way I do it now, just to be sure:

Of course, measure the top and cut the backing at least, repeat: AT LEAST 3" larger each way.

After pressing the backing piece, fold top to bottom and side to side, i.e., carefully in 4ths ... make sure edges are lined up.

On the right side of the backing, place a pin right where the center point is.

Place another pin in the fold at the outside edge (which is the outside center.

Open up the backing and lay on a flat surface.

Now, do the same with the batting. Lay the batting on the backing, matching those pins. Remove the center pin from the batting. (You'll still be able to feel the center pin on the backing piece.

Now, do the same with the top. Repeat matching the center and edge pins.

You now have a perfect register and if you're short, it's gonna show before you get any more work into it. Of course, you'll still kick yourself if it is short, but at least you've spared yourself a lot more work.

Hope this helps.

Oh, yeah! I've done that, then unpin and unpin and unpin. I've also done the tie and think it's all done and then discover a huge wrinkle running from one corner to the other. Just major growl growl! Here are hugs, you'll be OK.

I usually have my back 4 inches bigger all the way around.

It's easy to stretch the top as we move across the quilt - this is why I've always spray basted and done so on both sides of the batting. Nothing shifts even as you quilt :) So, sorry to hear of all your hard work ~

Can you unpin enough and sew some more fabric to the short end? That is what I would do.

I heard about pinmoor and I ordered some. It works great
and is so much beter then safety pins.Easer on hands.

yep been there & done that. Doesn't make for a happy camper but will make you more aware the next time. I now double & triple check before I proceed!

sorry that happened to you i have not done that one yet, but i dont pin sometime you might want to try spray basting it is alot easier and faster than pinning

Um yeah, I've had that problem with the quilt I'm working on right now. In the end, I will have to trim about an inch off of the edges to make a clean, even edge suitable for binding. Yup, it's good though that at least you noticed it in the BEGINNING, and not AFTER YOU QUILTED MORE THAN HALF of the quilt. Lol, by then, it's just simply too late.

Sorry...Been there done that.

I did the same thing last week. But I had the fabric, I just started pinning and left too much on one end and didn't realize it till I was almost done pinning. I had to unpin and move it and start the process again. I'd like to say that's the only time that has happened but I did one other time.Grr

Thank you for the link about pinmoor

The quilt I made for my bed was 112 wide so I added 7 inches to each side of my 108 inch backing, for the LAQ I used. Imagine my surprise when I got it back to find that she had moved the quilt so that I have one strip of different fabric on one side only. I just put my label on that strip and pretend it was a 'design decision'. :thumbup:

That would be disappointing. She may have meant well, but obviously doesn't know about dividing the space equally on both sides.

Thankfully has only happened with a wall hanging and a runner. Had enough fabric for the runner back, but somehow got it askewed when quilting. Still sitting in my to do over drawer.

As far as piecing backs, I don't like the look. If you have three equal pieces of fabric for the back, or one large piece that is ok, but more than one fabric to make up for loss to me looks cheap and ill planned. I like the look of the one piece in the middle and one piece on either side of that to equal the full back. Of course, they are all the same fabric so there is consistancy.

Agree with you there. That is just what i would have done. Added on the shortened side only. You can also be creative and do a block of different fabrics and stitch that down the side to make a decorative one sided edge - your label can be placed on that edge also.

Good luck and sorry about the bad news. :x