Joining backing
 

I've learned so much from the questions ive posted here before.
Now...I cannot find any 108" wide backing fabric to match so I will have to piece tieback.
Do I make my joining seam vertically down the back or the seam across horizontally?
Terry

Be sure you cut off the selvedges, use at least a 1/2 " seam, press it open. Probably seam it vertically if you are having it quilted elsewhere. Be sure to backstitch at each edge to secure the stitching.

I think it is your preference. A vertical seam is the most common I think. I will often do a little piecing on the back like adding in a couple of blocks like on the front or piecing together several complementary fabrics so have seams in the back going both directions.

I like the shortest seam....if i can make it fit with the seam running horizontally, that's usually what i'll do.

I like to make a pattern strip vertically on the back. Either left over blocks or squares of the fabrics used in the front. The pattern strip is between the backing fabrics so if the backing has a pattern, there is no pattern matching.

What I've been doing lately on the back of my quilts is putting a panel about 3' x 4' (varies by quilt) in the center and then adding the sides and top and bottom.
It all started when I was doing panel quilts. I take the 3 x 4 panel, batting and backing and quilt it like a small quilt,
square it up and add front and back to one side, spray baste the batting in
and quilt that side, then I do the other side, then top and bottom.
I don't have the room to quilt a large quilt so this works great for me.
What ever part I'm quilting is always on my left so I don't have it rolled up under the machine.
I am doing this now on a full quilt, so far so good.

I have heard from longarmers that some of them prefer the seam to be horizontal, because they usually roll and quilt vertically.

if you are quilting yourself- on a domestic machine vertical is fine- if you are sending your quilt to a long-arm quilter a horizontal seam is better- it lays nice and flat/smooth along the take up roller- instead of building up (4 layers at a time) in the center with every turn of the bar- which can cause saggy outside edges.

It depends on what is the simplest way to piece with the dimension of the top. I also throw in leftover fabrics on the back to save on having to buy too much fabric. I mostly do charity quilts and my budget is always tight.

I guess the longarming question is the most critical for you. Otherwise, I do seams either or both on my backs. Whatever way the piece of fabric I have fits the best in relation to the top.

I am piecing a backing now...LOTS Of seams! lol Here is a quick pieced back..cute and one of my favorites:

http://www.maryquilts.com/off-center-4-patch-backing/

Be sure to look around, she has lots of patterns.

My guild has many guests speakers and their quilts have pieced backing a lot. Some even put ophan blocks on the back. You can do it however you want.

I like this Diagonal Backing Calculator method. :)

I longarm quilt for others and it does not matter to ME which way YOU PIECE your quilt back or how many pieces you use.

What's important is that you use 1/2" seams (NOT 1/4"...it's too skimpy). Put smaller pieces in the center of the quilt back...not at the edges. If you put them along the edge, there is the possibility that only a small amount of the smaller piece will end up on the back.

What's important, if you're sending the quilt to a longarm quilter, is that the back is large enough, square and flat. I've done many, many quilts with pieced backs and several quilts that were actually two sided quilts. The quilt tops are centered on the quilt back.

Nan - Indiana

[QUOTE=terlyn;6621302]I've learned so much from the questions ive posted here before.
Now...I cannot find any 108" wide backing fabric to match so I will have to piece tieback.
Do I make my joining seam vertically down the back or the seam across horizontally?
Terry[/QUOT

I was told years ago not to have a seam in the middle - it's where we generally fold them and it weakens over time. If I am joining two pieces of fabric, I cut one length in half and join on both ends - no middle seam. I think backs are fair game, no rules really, just add where you can and avoid the middle seam.

The quilt does not care which way you piece the back.It all depends on how big your quilt is. I usually piece the backing vertically because it seems to take less fabric. Most of my quilts are 75x90 so I piece 3 yds vertically which gives me a piece of backing 90 x 108. I usually rip my salvages off and have the fabric cut into 2- 3yd pieces. I pieced a backing fabric once from leftover pieces of fabric and never again. What a pain!!! Also by using one color backing you do have to worry centering it on the toip.

Figure the yardage and decide which way will take the least fabric. It can be eye opening for some quilts.

For me it depends on how much fabric I have, the size of the quilt and whether the fabric for the backing directional. I do whichever way works given those parameters and don't worry about whether it's vertical or horizontal. I do my own quilting however so had never thought about which is better for a long arm. Good tip there.

Because I longarm, I always join the seams horizontally.

The seams don't matter. It just needs to be big enough and LOOK the way YOU want it.

How do you fasten the borders to the center panel?

I have been told by long arm quilters to seam the back horizontally. If it is done vertically, there is no give where the seam is, and tightens the quilt up in that area the whole length of the quilt. If on a regular sewing machine, it doesn't matter.

I generally sew two WOF pieces of fabric together RST, after doing away with the selvedges and then taking one side, rip it down the center (ripping actually works better for me at this point). I have a little card that I got from AQS when I subscribed to their magazine that shows how much fabric to buy for each size quilt, and on the back it shows both vertical and horizontal piecing for the backing. I don't think it makes a lot of difference, except possibly the amount of fabric used, as long as the selvedge has been removed and you have a shorter stitch length when sewing the pieced back.

How about diagonally? Check out John Flynn's website,he has a way to save fabric using diagonal seams. He also says that it is easier when machine quilting. When using a frame vertical seams makes a hump in the quilt in the same position, which makes it more difiicult to machine quilt. When using diagonal seams, the seam is spread out along the quilt. Just a thought.