All I have left to do is add my last border on my Beatles quilt with the panel in center. I did my best but its not straight, off about 1/2". I have all this Beatles fabric left and they are large pieces, can someone tell me how to go about making a pieced backing with my leftovers. I need 76"x88" for backing. I've never done this so please all your help would be appreciated.

I am going to let the veterans help. I would just get you in more trouble than your in now. Sorry, good luck.

I would measure all the pieces and write those measurements down, incicating whether the piece is directional or not. I would also audition the fabrics to see if any of them don't work with certain other ones.

Option 1: I play with graph paper. First I mark the finished backing size you need (remember you want the backing to be larger than the finished top) on the graph paper and then puzzle the other sizes into that outline. I usually just pencil mine in but I have cut pieces of post it notes and placed them in the outline. Eventually, I end up with a layout that works.

Option 2: Just pick pieces that have the same dimension along one side (or trim one to match the other) and sew them together. Add on in the same manner until one row is done. Make a second row and so on until you have a backing.

I press the seams on the backing open to keep bulk down.

If you are planning to send it out to have it quilted, check to see how much extra they need to do a good job!

I did one in large sections with a coordinating color in between. I sewed the center section first, trimmed it square, then added more borders around the whole outside of that. Graph paper is a good way to sketch it out.

Katie, love what you have done here, it looks like it was mean't to be that way!

Gal

Thanks, I think if you take your time working out the details and not just throw it together, it can look as planned as the front! :)

I would use the graph paper too. I have EQ6 and use that to plan a pieced back.

I made a quilt top using the Joann's Mystic Blue block of the month fabric blocks and added borders to make it bigger to fit my bed. I ended up having to make the top larger by using some of my backing fabric. When I did that...I found that I didn't have enough fabric to complete the backing with the fabric so I had to piece the backing with fabric from the backing and fabric left over from the top. I had fat quarters that matched some of the fabric from the front so I made 10.5 inch nine patch blocks from the fat quarters and backing fabric as well as solid 10.5 inch squares from the backing fabric. I alternated the nine patches and the backing blocks and made another quilt top for my backing. I made the quilt bottom for the backing smaller than the quilt top and then started adding borders of fabrics (4 borders) with the last border being the largest (six inches). This brought my quilt backing to be approximate 3 inches longer and wider on the sides and bottom. I centered the top and bottom quilts and sandwiched them. I tied my quilt. I actually like the back of my quilt better than the top...LOL. I call my quilt Mystic Blue Two For Quilt as I got two quilts in one.

Just don't have a seam running down the center back of your quilt.....

Ditter

A couple of things I've learned when piecing backs.....

- sometimes I have to measure my needed back and fabric in square inches to see if I have enough, then play with drawings and layouts to make it fit

- try to keep some kind of regular pattern in the back

- when you sandwich the quilt, make sure the center of the backing is in the center of the front so you don't have uneven sections at the edges

I've done several this way. They seem to be holding up fine. What is the reason behind this?

Wow, Katie, that backing is wonderful, never thought to do that!

Katie, your backing is really nice. I have 9 different fabrics that I could use. Martina your option 2 sounds good just not sure how to go about doing this, it would be far easier to just do a regular backing but I would like to use up the left over fabric. Will keep looking at the fabric like its going to suddenly piece itself.

As a handquilter I prefer not to have any seams on the back. If I must piece and am working with a length I use a whole piece in the middle and split the second length longways and add it to both sides. This is the way they show making a back from 36-45 inch fabric in my quilt books. Make sure and cut off the selvages on the seams that will be inside the backing.

going to learn from this thread, thanks!

I think a while there was a thread about quilt backs. For some reason "show me your backside" sticks in my head. LOL I tried searching, but no luck. Maybe some will be able to find it and post the link. There were many nice backs to inspire us!

Ditter43, I think there are two main reasons for not having a seam running down the quilt. First, since it applies to all quilts, has to do with wear and folding. Second, for a quilt that will be quilted on a longarm, a seam down the middle will roll over and over on itself, causing a ridge and uneven tension on the fabric. A horizontal seam works just fine. My favorite is a diagonal seam, done according to a formula by John Flynn. It often saves fabric and the seam will never roll on itself or be folded on itself.

--Heidi

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