Well now that I have my quilt top all finished I started to sandwich it....I spent over a few hrs pinning and straightening and flatening just to find that after all that pinning(of more pins then i'd like to count)I find I'm lacking about 6" of backing on one side....grrrrrrrr! Now I have to take all the pins out and start all over and maybe add more fabric so the backing to fit. Ever have that problem???

Donna

Once. I was not a happy camper!

I am sorry this happened :(
I normally spray baste, so repositioning is easier, but I can see this happening to me too.. :D:D:D

So sorry! I hate that for you.

been there, done that. i've unpinned until i can get enough of the backing available to sew more to. good luck.

I think the 'M2C1' lesson just came into play here - 'Measure twice cut once'. Being short on backing usually only happens one time. After that first time, the M2C1 theory is always applied............ That is if one is a fast learner. Some of us don't always get it right away. :roll:

You definitely want your backing to be larger than the top.

Why not just unpin the side that's short about halfway back and add extra fabric. Might be worth a try.

It seems the backing is always bigger then I think it needs to be. I don't eyeball it anymore! About pinning. I started using Pinmoors and I won't baste any other way now. They make basting fast and easy.

http://www.pinmoor.com/

Me, too. Most of the time I think I am unmaking a quilt. !~sigh~

Ruth

Once or twice after it was on the frame. Now I know--add those inches!

Thanks I just checked out the Pinmoors and i just might get me some...thanks again
Donna

A friend of mine did that --- didn't discover it until he'd had the quilt almost totally quilted. It's not easy to take a quilt off the Longarm and get it back on with the same tension!!!!

I learned from his lesson.....I always lay the backing on the floor, then the batting and then the top....JUST to make sure my measuring isn't screwed up! Also...I put a tiny mark or pin at the top center of each piece. That way I don't turn one of them sideways....and run out of fabric or batting.

Could be worse, mt MIL hand quilted her whole quilt before she figured out that the back was too small ! Good news was that it was a crib quilt, bad news was that I had to trim it all the way around until the binding would fit. Guess it didn't cause her as much work as it caused me to fix it.

I cheat. I am a handquilter mostly. I always cut pleanty of backing and have it hanging oevr the quilt top. No pins, spray baste, nothing. I lay it out on my floor, pick up the center and place it on my frame and tighten it. Then smoth as I go. Never had a shortage or crooked. Lucky I guess. Used this tecnique forever. Now as for machine quitling, I don't do that yet. I have a Flynn frame and will start but probably won't use pins. This is an interesting post. I know we all sew differently. When I tried pinning, then as I sewed it got bunched up so had to move the pins, so I don't do pins any more. Good luck.

Have done it once when on a Quilting short-mid arm frame, many grumbles later, loosened it up enough to put portable machine on a rolling cart to add, move cart, sew, move cart, etc. you get the idea now I mark yardage before loading the machine so can check amount before I begin.
So I know how much is on the frame :)

what I have read is have your backing and your batting 3 to 4 inches larger then your quilt top, the whole way around the quilt top. You can't skimp here because quilting takes up fabric and you'll end up to short on the backing or the batting and thats no fun!
Don't ask me how I no!!
Don't get discouraged, add on to it for now.
simple quilter

been there !! you think you have measured well, but something happens. Had one very big quilt that I had to completely unpin. was so bummed that I am now much more careful & along more fabric for the edges. I have done it on a kids quilts & just added a strip on the side. able to disguise pretty well.
how come we don't start pinning on the short side ???
BRRRRR ! from chilly, snowy Montana. It is beautiful with all the snow still sitting on the trees,etc.

that is terrible, take a deep breath and re pin

I'm so very sorry. I've done it once, it was a hard learned lesson. Rest assured, I won't do it again.

this happened to me once too. I just found some other fabric and sewed it to the current backing fabric. there is no need to re-pin unless you don't like pieced backs ;-)

i always add about 6 inches all the way around. I'm sure someday i'll come up on the short side, too...

Donna P - What are Pinmoors? Hate to appear stupid, but I really dont know what this is..

Oh, yeah, done that. NOT a good thing.

Donna P - What are Pinmoors? Hate to appear stupid, but I really dont know what this is..

Yep, my thought exactly. I measure and have a notepad handy to write down my measurements, don't trust my brain anymore. I also keep a calculator handy to do my math.

Well, I quarter my backing and quarter my top, place a mark or pins there, and start in the middle and work out.

I did. I did the backing of a quilt for my sister and it came out wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. It was the top that was katty-whompus. I added a piece to the back, then I pinned it down, squared it off and it worked like a charm. Because it was the back you couldn't notice it that much unless you were really looking for it. If the back is patterned that is even better, just sort of line up the design. It'll be just fine. Edie

That is one of my worst quilting nightmares. The other nightmare is finish making the sandwich and realize that I placed the backing upside down. I would really have to kill myself then.

No, I have never had that problem, but I would suggest that you not take out all the pins. But use an interesting piece of fabric with a theme and add to the backing. Save a lot of work and adds a message to the user. Example below:

Use as your signature:

In a straight line along the addition embroider the following: ficticious names used.

(To: Evelyn, my granddaughter with much love. From: Grandma. Every stitch is filled with love, hope and prosperity.)

Or anything you would like to stitch.

Been there done that--I just unpinned enough to be able to add a strip of fabric. So, it was another fabric--just told everyone I was using up leftovers.

Not on pinning but a big crease in the backing fabric when I was almost done hand quilting! It is still sitting and waiting to be undone and done again.

Yes, I did this, too. Sure saved a lot of time.

It happened to me once many, many years ago. I was so embarrased that I always make sure now. It was only a wee bit and I made the fold-over binding wider so that it covered the space before hand stitching it down. So the back had a wider binding than the front.

I am sorry this happened to you as it is frustrating.

...that's what I was thinking too! Good luck. Pieced backs can be quite interesting!

I too have had this happen. Fortunatly it was very small and I was able to piece it and the binding and quilting covered my mistake. A very frustrating thing to do, but unless you just do not like piecing backs just undo enough to sew more on.

When making a quilt, I try to buy the backing at the same time as the other fabric for the front - I just make sure I know what sized quilt I'm making first of all - then add more fabric than you need for the backing - and there is usually leftovers from the front blocks also - so I suggest getting to know a pattern that is easy for you to make a quilt bag out of the leftover fabric from both front and back - no waste, and a great way to store the quilt - or present it as a gift - no wrapping needed, and a nice bow? What better way to give! and you have no waste to amount to anything at all.

Could you just take out pins around the outside edges, cut down the sides that are ok, and add a border to your backing? That should work, and give you a different backing too.

I am glad to hear im not the only one.

As a mid-short-arm quilter, I always allow 2" extra backing on sides and
8" or more on length. Also be sure to square up the backing and mark
centers of top and bottom on both quilt and backing. On leaders there is
center marking so when loading your project everything is in line.
Never have a problem.
When hand-quilting on floor frame, I use same technique.

I like to make my backing in a couple different pieces so if I've miscalculated on how much I need for the backing I can make it larger by adding a row (either vertically or diagonally) with another fabric or a block or two from the main quilt or coordinating fabric. It gives it interest and it isn't just the same one-piece fabric on the back.