I'm looking for my backing fabric, and wondered about muslin. Is it suitable? I am handquilting this quilt, so if it IS suitable, is it easy to stitch through?

Muslin is a very suitable backing fabric and is easy to quilt through. Many antique quilts were made with muslin backing.

As others have mentioned, it needs to be good quality muslin!

Muslin does work, yes, and can be needled just fine.

But........it has a "look" to it after a while that, I feel, makes one's quilt look dirty, or 'old', and not very interesting, no matter how it's washed. I've come to much prefer a print or even a solid color on the back of my quilts for that reason.

Jan in VA

I use it on a lot of my quilts and I only do hand quilting. Never could master machine quilting

I agree with Prism. Very easy to quilt through. Just make sure you get a good quality :)

The vast majority of quilts I make do have either natural (unbleached) or bleached muslin as a backing fabric. I use it for quilts, wallhangings etc - you name it. It's a cost effect way to get your quilts completed (I buy it on large bolts) and it suits me just fine. On some occassions I will use quilting fabric for the back, but for me it's really far and few between. I do believe that there is probably a greater number of quilters who still engage in this practice than those that use "all quilting fabric" for the backing... but it just depends on your preference, overall design and ultimately budget. Some quilting fabrics are $9.99+ a yard and that's not always doable when you've already spent a small fortune on all the fabric for the quilt top. Sometimes - I'll even dye the muslin a specific color when needed and if practicable for my design. So I promise, there's nothing wrong with muslin! I like to get mine at Joann's when either it's on sale, or in between sales I'll use my coupons and it's great!

Explosive blessings, abundance and inspiration to you all!
- The Creative Seamstress

i think it would work

I use muslin on the back of many of my hand quilted quilts. I buy a good quality muslin. My kids love the muslin, because it almost looks like a whole cloth quilt when it is completed. They love looking at the handquilting and it shows up well on muslin.

I use muslin on a lot of my quilts. To me it gives them that antique look and feel. Also I can get it in 108" & 112" width at the mennonite store near me. I get the best quality because I like the smooth soft feel of it and it looks nice on the backs of my quilts.

I remember making my first quilt 20+ years ago and buying fabric for the back. I wanted my quilt to be reversible and the woman at the quilt shop was shocked that I was "wasting good fabric" on the back when "you're supposed to use muslin".

Now I rarely see muslin used for backings, and I am starting to be drawn back to that old look. I guess I just don't like to do what the mainstreamers are doing, lol.

Any way, use what YOU like, just use good quality fabric, whether muslin or otherwise so your quilt will hold up.