About a year ago, I was asked to put together a quilt for a fund rasier in honor of a woman who had died from cancer. The fabric had all been picked out by her before she had passed away. When it came to the backing, I didn't have enough of any one fabric, and I wanted to use just "her" fabric. I did a sort of crazy quilt using large random pieces. It came out beautiful. I quilted it on my home machine, but because it was so random, I didn't have to worry about lining up with anything.
Since then, I have tried this several times. Last time, I used large rectangles, and placed them diagonally. Again, it was beautiful and well received.

Most quilt shops & the internet have 108" backing fabrics for quitls, it is better than buying yards of fabric & sewing it together for backing, they have really pretty colors also.

In the late 1980s a couple of friends of mine wrote Back Art - The Flip Side (Danita Rafalovich & Katherine Pellman). I started piecing backs and will never put just one solid fabric on the back of a quilt again. Here is a link that shows some interesting flip sides http://www.popularpatchwork.com/news/article.asp?a=6922

I do what Bonnie Hunter suggests, I make the backing from 10 inch finished squares. It's easy to calculate how many you need and you can get 4 squares from a width. I try to use fabrics that relate to the front of the quilt, any leftover fabric or extra blocks, but I also try to use up some of those "what was I thinking" fabrics. A bonus is that after you've trimmed up the layered sandwich, you should have strips that are perfect for a pieced binding.

I really, really like this idea. I think that if you pick the colors smartly, it could be really attractive. I'm going to try this on my next quilt.

No one has mentioned this...when hand quilting if the seam in the pieced back is directly beneath a seam in the top, it's almost impossible to make nice quilting stitches through all those layers of fabric. I try to avoid piecing my backs for this very reason. Quite often they line up and then I have a problem!!!!

The first quilt I made started out to be 9 patch for curtains for my laundry. Well, needless to say it kind of grew. I had lots of scrap pieces that I had gotten from deceased relatives. The quilt ended up being two sided. One side is winter (in blues and rust) and the other side being summer (in yellows and rust). The rust were the shashes between blocks. Only problem I had was when I got it back from the quilter, it was really heavy. Because of all the seams.
The two sides design didn't line up but the quilting was random so it didn't matter.
Rita

I still quilt by hand as can not get the hang of MQ. When I do a large quilt I find for me it is daunting to quilt the whole thing as one piece, so I do a section at a time then sew them together. I think it is called lap quilting or maybe QAYG. Often I use a different fabric for the backing on each section, or stray blocks. Then it kinda makes my quilts reversible. Only downfall is there is more hand stitching to be done putting back together but I find I get more done in smaller pieces.

Greetings,
The woman who does my quilting of backings when I took her two peices of fab, because I loved the two one being bargello the other a few yards of fab, suggested I seperate making two quilts because of the fab shifting at times. just something to consider. so each of my grand daughters ended up with quilts and everyone was happy.
Sandra whos frozen in Melrose NY

Wouldn't it be fun to do a great big D4P and use it for the back? I think that would be great, and you can always divide your backing into 4 quarters to do it with

I have seen many reversible quilts made in this manner. They are generally quilted with a stipple pattern so that it enhances both quilts.

I usually piece together some sort of design that will run horizontal on the quilt. I put that down and add a matching color on the top and one on the bottom. It usually turns out just fine and I can use up the 2 or 3 yd pieces.

I just pieced a backing for a California King quilt. Since I also also longarm as a business, I know that most of the seams need to run across the quilt...those that run from top to bottom build up on the rollers and can cause uneven tension on the backing which will result in pleats back there. I used some blocks from the front that I didn't use there, and large pieces of material I had left over...nothing smaller then a fat quarter. When you do piece a backing, use 1/2" seams, press them open and back-stitch on both ends so it stays together. If you are having it quilted by a longarm quilter, it needs to be 8" longer and wider then your quilt top.

I have also done a large star in the center of the backing that replicated the blocks on the front...that one was a pain! Hard to make sure it was centered on the frame to meet the center of the quilt top. But it is now a lovely double-sided quilt!

I'm not a long arm quilter, but I have done pieced backings and they can be just as nice as the front. I take the fabric choices that I used on the front. If you have enough to make long stripes,that looks good. If not, then blocks. I have even made the pillow shams reversible,so that way they will match the quilt's front and back. If you use straight stripes or even blocks make sure the quilt doesn't slip while you're quilting. I have made a crazy quilt backing out of the scraps. That way it doesn't matter if it slips while you're quilting it.

I just bought some wide backing for a large applique quilt, something I have not done before. I sometimes use one color backing, sometimes pieced from leftovers from the top and sometimes a totally different color scheme on the back, a summer and winter side(my personal favourite).

I piece most of my backs and the special ones that I make for my grandchildren I'll add their photo (transfer to fabric) and a machine embroidered panel of their name

When you piece a backing, just make sure to cut off the selvage edges, as that weave is so much tighter than the rest of the fabric, and will make your backing pucker. Press the seam open. As for centering, it is very difficult to get a backing seam to line up absolutely perfectly, due to the give of the fabric, the fact that it is mounted on rollers, the height/weight of batting, quilting from left to right, right to left, etc, or that the quilt itsself may not be pressed perfectly flat or lie perfectly square. And for certain, do NOT put a border on your backing and expect your longarm quilter to line it up perfectly.

I recommend that if you piece your backing, (which adds value to the quilt, according to most quilt appraisors), piece it somewhere in the middle, but not exactly through the center. Add a row of leftover blocks for interest, or a stripe of contrasting fabric. Have the seams lie somewhere that there are not a lot of seams or joints on the front of the quilt. And then, sometimes, just piece it and hope for the best! :)

Is that a badger you have for an avatar?

There are several ways one can piece a quilt lining. I think the back should be pretty also. So lets say my material is too short to use as a lining. Well I just make a cut across the bottom and also across just about 10 inches from the top edge. I piece anything I want,sew it into the cut acriss the upper side(top of lining) and I like to use a row of blocks from the front design also I love adding a row of large Flying Geese. It sure makes my friends turn over one of my quilts to see what I have done this time. Marvel

I just recently completely a small quilt. For the backing, I used leftover squares from a YBR that I came across when I was looking for the fabric for the quilt. Happy coincidence for me and the giftee loved both sides of the quilt. This was a quilt where I tried to use up scraps from pieces of my scrap basket and drawer. Even used leftover pieces of binding that were all the same color. Used leftover piece of fleece for the batting.

I like this method, too. I quilt on a longarm and haven't had any problems with rolling the pieced backs evenly, but I do try to keep the lengthwise grains of the pieces running the same direction.
Karen in La.

Ask your long arm quilter first. Not all will accept a sheet for the backing.

I try to use the rest of the fabric that I used for the top and then make a few simple BIG Blocks and scatter them throughout the back. :-D

I normally piece the back, sometimes two pieces or sometimes 3-4 pieces. I also buy the good quality 90" wide muslin and use that also. Of course it depends on who/what the quilt if for.

I piece backings a lot. I try to use the leftover fabric from the front. If it will look too patchy, I use something else that will go with the top. I buy fabric for backing when I see a good sale of a tone on tone. I'll buy 5 yards or more. Then, if the quilt top has greens, I will use a green tone on tone fabric I have purchased on sale. I then piece that so the back looks all alike. I usually do 1/2 inch seams and press them open.

Sometimes I use leftover blocks from the front to put on the back; but, mostly I just piece it.

I always buy extra fabric in case I cut something wrong. I usually have enough left over to piece together a back.

BUT, I don't make up a 'pattern'. I just sew various 'chunks' of fabric together to make the back. I've never had a problem with my LAer quilting it. So what if it's a little cockeyed? What's to say I didn't 'plan' it that way?

Some of my quilt 'backs' are almost as pretty as my 'fronts'. And if I wind up with a little 'paw print' on the quilt after it's just been laundered, I can just flip it over... the quilt police (and Suzie Homemaker) aren't allowed in my bedroom! LOL

Hmmmm ... I'm liking the idea of using a flanel sheet for the back of my really big King. I'll have to measure and see if it would fit.

Forgive me if someone else has already suggested this, I don't have time to read all the posts (isn't it wonderful when you get so many responses?).

I bought this book, and it has some great ideas. Maybe you could find it at the library if you don't want to purchase it.

One really simple, yet cool idea, basically, upsize a block from the front into a super size block for the back.

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Easy-Crea...5982990&sr=1-4

Have an old quilt from my DH family his Mom and Grandmother worked on it. It has a pieced back, they used everything, and I love it.

Thanks for posting this! I just bought it for less than $5.00 from Amazon.com, and that includes shipping!!!

I also sometimes piece the backs. I try to use larger blocks so there are less seams on the back and try to keep seems to a minimum over the front seams. Sometimes I do use some of the same material on the back as to front and also will sometimes piece a picture of a cat or dog for the middle, just something whimsical for the back so it is not so boring to look at.

I went to the Visions quilt show in Oceanside, CA today. It is about the ultimate of contemporary quilts. They had a GIANT Velda Newman quilt there that was spectacular. Anyway, we were with a white glove lady and she showed us the backs of some of these quilts. They had absolutely everything on the back. No one seemed to be concerned about the back. Some just had an iron on interfacing on the back. I'm sure none of these go on a bed. I've been to this show several times and this year's selections were great.

GREAT IDEA!!!

I've used the medalion style for a quilt backing. I start with a fairly large block for the center and then just add strips on the top, bottom, and sides (just like borders) until it is the size needed. Good way to use up left over fabric from the top.

Question and I need help with this :roll:

I am making a lap top about 59x59 I have about 3 yards of fabric (pattern) thats in the top. My question is.......
should I cut the fabric WOF and piece it or what. I don't know why but I am always afraid to do this

Wow! That must have seemed like you were really building a life sized log cabin. Yikes! :wink:

I just ordered the Easy Over book - am puttering along with a Canadian comfort and Remembrance project quilt - see online - 150 quilts for families of Cdn soldiers lost in Afghanistan - I think I'll do a large version of the block with borders for the back. Interesting backing is such a great idea!!