Hi, I need help with my quilt back. I have a finished top that measures 58.5 X 70.5 and I am trying to piece the back with two fabrics pieced into 3 strips. When I purchased the fabric I told the lady what I was planning on doing and that I had a finished top measureing 60.25 X 72. She sold me 3 yards, two yards of color A and 1 yard of color B. She said I would have to cut color B and piece that into one long strip, which I did. She said I would have enough of color A in both length and width. What am I doing wrong because it seems that I won't have enough. Thank you.

Did you measure it to make sure that you received 72" of color A? I only ask because she could have cut it too short. I alwaya purchase more than two inches of extra fabric.

Using my calculations you need at least 5 yards of fabric. When I calculate for a backing I use 40"s wide for the fabric standard. I count 1 fabric width till I exceed the width of the top. You would want to add an extra width if they would not give you any extra off the edges. Your quilt would be two. I than convert the length to yards, you have 2 yards. Multiply the number of widths needed by the length yardage and add one.

This gives you enough fabric to extend off each side for quilting and to allow for the shrinkage caused by the quilting.

You can piece your back together, be sure to allow for the seam allowance. And as a suggestion, I use at least a 1/2" seam allowance pressed open for backing.

This has always worked for me. Just a thought.

If you cut fabric B lengthwise (depending on pattern) you should have enough. This is the layout that I would use... (Click on download and it will open a word document with the measurements.)
Hope it helps...

In a perfect world, this is what you should be able to do if both pieces of fabric were cut perfectly square. I would definitely buy a little extra for a fudge factor next time. I feel much more comfortable when my backing is at least 4" bigger all around than my top. I can deal with 2" bigger but I get very, very nervous toward the end.

I deducted a couple inches for the selvages but not for the seams.

You will also lose some length in the seam.

I'm thinking that the person that helped you was not a quilter. :?

I think that she wanted you to take the one yard and cut it down the middle(folded edge) the sew hese two pieces togeather end to end so you will have a piece 22"x72". Sew this to the two yard piece leangth wise. You will still be short on the leangth, because your quilt is 72" and yourmaterial will be only 72". You will need to add at least 4 to 6 inches at the bottom of your leangth. Hope this helps. I always try to buy at leasst 1/2 yrd extra of material, never know when you will need more. Besides that is how we build are staches.

Thank you for the help, now I know to check here before buying next time. I ended up buying another yard. Now, I am having an awful time quilting it but that is another story.

You can always sew "take away later" strips to the ends of the backing to get the needed length for long arm quilting. You'll just have to remove them after it's been quilted.

Sorry, I don't know what take away strips are. Are they what they sound like? Extra strips sewn all around the edges? I am machine quilting this myself or trying to anyway but for future I would like to know what they are. Thanks.