Messed up on cutting my borders...need help
 

I had border/binding fabric & backing fabric. I cut my borders out of my backing fabric by mistake & now I don't have enough backing fabric. Would it look weird to piece about 4 of those 6 1/2" border pieces & maybe put them down the center of the back? I was cutting my 7th & final piece when I realized what I had done. I don't have enough border/binding fabric to use for the backing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I know right now this feels like a disaster to me but am hoping to make a design opportunity out of it before its all over with.

I think it would look great! Many people piece backing, often using leftover blocks from the front.

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Here is the back of one of my quilts. The piece I had was too small. So I cut it in fourths and inserted these two stripes
& the four square.

I have pieced a lot of backs - one specific was a MLB quilt for my daughter - I wanted to use the SD Padres fabric for the back but it was about 8 inches shy of being wide enough, so instead of going back and getting more fabric I used the fabric that was used on the front for the border and binding - it looked like planned racing stripes. (Not to mention it used up some of the leftover fabric instead of going into the scrap bin.)

Oh no, lots of quilters dress up the backs. go for it!!

When I make a pieced back,(and I almost always do because I like them) I offset the extra pieces so they don't go exactly in the middle. That way I don't have to bother making sure they are perfectly straight when I sandwich the quilt.

Ive seen many pieced backs. Some come out as modern designs with off set piecing.

me too, and if you don't tell it was a mistake, it wasn't. your secret is safe with us as always!

I agree. I use left over blocks on my backing very often.

I've seen a lot of pieced backs with different fabrics but this one will have the same fabric as the back...only pieced in strips. Will it still look o.k. even though the fabric will all be the same on the back or should I break it up a bit with some left over pieces from the top? I wish I had a quilting program so I could see it before I try sewing it.

Lots of people piece the same fabric to make it the right size. But you do have an opportunity to jazz it up a bit by using the border fabric you DIDN'T use for borders and add that to the back! Or an extra block or two with strips of the border or back fabric to include the blocks in a pleasing manner. I agree, I don't do a strip right down the middle. I offset to one side. I just finished a very colorful quilt and used a jelly roll, sewed into strips and set on the diagonal across the back. Was a trick to cut the large backing pieces on that same diagonal, but I managed, and it looks awesome! At the long arm quilters right now or I would post a pic! Just have fun, no law that the back has to be 1 piece, 3 pieces or even all the same. Some folks make scrappy backs, others actually piece two tops and make it totally reversible with 2 different sides that are a quilt in themselves!

Go ahead: piece your back with the fabrics you have. What you will have when you are finished is really a reversible quilt -- two for the price of one!!

One of my all-time favorite projects is a quilt made of seven dress shirts which I'd shrunk out of. The directions called for using the same fabrics for the back and front -- different patterns, though. I even used the buttons and labels in the thing. It was a lot of fun.

[QUOTE=linda8450;7528460] you do have an opportunity to jazz it up a bit by using the border fabric you DIDN'T use for borders and add that to the back!

This was my idea, too. Use the left over fabric you had intended to put in the borders to make a pieced back. Everything coordinates.

I don't usually like pieced borders but love yours!

Some pieced back are on purpose and take a lot of planning, so, YES, it is perfectly acceptable.

I use pieced backs all the time. I think it gives a bit more interest to the back (and it uses up the odd pieces leftover from the front!).

I have a friend who ALWAYS piece her quilt backs, regardless of quilt
size. She has even been known to do some applique on the backs
for added interest.

Her quilts look amazing.

I make mixed backings all the time.....it's how I use up a lot of scraps.....fat quarters are great put together.....strips work well too....just add one fabric to another.....scrappiness is great for backings......

I agree with everyone else that a pieced back gives you the opportunity to jazz up the back if you add some of the colors from the front to the back. I recently did that with a quilt- added a 10 horizontal strip that started out about a foot from the top. When the quilt is laid on the bed and the corner is turned down you can see the pretty strip on the back. It really enhanced the look of the quilt.

However- I also just learned about diagonal piecing the back. That also might be on option if you have extra length.

i love pieced backs. here is one of my favorites. well, two of my favs.

I love pieced backs! Good way to use up any scraps from the top.

Well, I think I've decided what to do about my shortage of backing fabric. I have 5 extra blocks left over from the top & will use them on the back (offset to one side....sort of like the one sash posted). I got up in the middle of the night a few nights ago & started planning & putting the strip together from the blocks. I think I'm going to like it but it sure takes a lot out of me to plan my own designs...:(. It will a few weeks before it's finished but I'll try to post a pic when I'm done with it. Thanks so much for everyone's input & the beautiful pictures.

Good luck -- when I piece my backs I use my design wall to get a look I like.