I'm afraid I don't have enough backing!
 

I am making my first quilt to showcase my grandaughter's art and have finished the quilt top. I haven't basted it yet, but when I lay it on top of the backing, there is only one inch to spare on the top and bottom of the quilt. I was planning on spray basting, but I'm afraid that by the time I get to the bottom of the quilt, all the smoothing I will do to get wrinkles out will cause the quilt top to extend beyond the backing. Then I'm afraid I would be in a real fix because they are now stuck together!

What are the chances I have enough? Should I start planning a pieced quilt back to allow for more room?

I'm trying to attach a picture. Hope it works.

Thanks for your help!
Janan

Piece the back! My girlfriend calls my backs a surprise for the recipient. I piece all of mine. So, my quilts have a design on both sides.

I normally piece any leftover fabrics in my backing like Sue Bouchard does at QIAD

Ok, I will piece the back. Thanks for your input.

I usually end up piecing a strip through the middle on twin sized quilts since I am piecing two pieces together anyway. (my selvedges run horizontal so I buy 2 times the width needed and get the length of 40+pieced+40)

However, I just bought 108" fabric for a 102" square quilt and it shrunk after cold water wash and low heat dry. So I had to piece a strip. I wasn't willing to try to cut a seam straight through the middle of 108 (or less now) so I ended up putting it across the top. Why? Well if I ever try to turn the top down, that would be the natural place to have something different. We'll see if it actually looks good after I get it quilted.

Great idea, lovspaper! Let me know how it turns out.

The polka dot backing fabric is Soft & Comfy by JoAnn's Fabric. 100% polyester. I guess it's like minkie fabric. Should I wash it before I make my quilt sandwich?[ATTACH=CONFIG]509367[/ATTACH]

Put a 3" strip at the top of the quilt and a 4 - 5" strip at the bottom of the backing. Start the quilting where the added strip meets the top of the backing. If you need more on the sides, add strips there.

I've done this several times and it works well.

Washing - I wash all fabrics before I use them - allergies. If you haven't washed your quilt fabrics, then it's ok to wait until the quilt is quilted and then wash the quilt. However, there is no requirement to pre-wash - but for a baby quilt, I'd recommend it.

Piece the back I recently have been dealing with this issues as well with my lap quilt, I know that I am going to have to take it apart and figure out how to piece the back for it to fit the quilt.