Opinion on quilt back color and value
 

Hello - my first post, so be kind as I'm sure everyone on this board always is. :)

I've made several quilts in my life, but am still a novice. I have just finished an oversized king top. If any of you are on Pinterest, you've seen the beautiful zigzag rail fence quilt from Red Pepper quilts. http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2011/...new-quilt.html

I pretty much copied the quilt because my husband and I fell in love w it. Hubby wants an orange, solid background. My question, with so much white, will quilting on a solid background produce and odd, unintended effects? Pinholes? Dark showing through to the front? I don't really want a white back. Opinions and technical reasons to go with a light versus medium - dark back please! Here's the full quilt on the bed.

Thank you in advance.
Erika

Here's a closer look.

Your colors POP!!!! I love it.2 pictures came thru. Can not help with the quilting as I hand quilt or send it to a lA to be done. Hugs and Welcome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana

If he wants an orange solid back, maybe he'll go for a mottled orange back. That will help hide the stitching on the back. I prefer to have darker colors on the back, meaning anything darker than white. I want something where some dirt won't show. So, I also do not like too much white on the top of a quilt, nor on borders or binding. Even Cream is a little light for the outer borders, backing, and binding as far as I'm concerned.

Orange should work fine for the backing. You may be able to use an orange varigated thread on the top, and the same or solid orange thread on the bobbin for the quilting.

I'm not sure I'm understanding your question. You want to know if using an orange backing for the quilt will show through to the front? Are you not planning on using batting in between?

I wouldn't worry about pinholes. Those will disappear when you wash it.

A lot depends on the batting you choose. Some battings will allow backing color to shade through; other battings are totally opaque.

Warm and Natural will probably not allow an orange backing to influence the top at all; however, compared to other battings it is somewhat heavy and stiff in drape (the stiffness does soften with each washing since this batting is primarily cotton).

Hobbs PolyDown would be a good batting for this quilt because it is light in weight and offers a lot of softness and loft. However, it would probably allow a bright orange backing to shadow through to the top.

Your top is so beautiful. I am not sure I would trust the orange not to show through the white.

Makes me think of ribbon candy. Delicious!!!!

I really love your colors!! I'm too much of a novice to help you with advice, but I'm reading along for the expertise of others. If I thought there were no chance of orange showing through ,and hubby requested it, I'd honor him with that. But if the back color would influence it somehow, I'd gently explain that to him and suggest something suitable. It's too much hard work with white on top to get muddied by a dark color. But as I said, I just don't know.

That's so adorable! I might copy your idea. Rail fences are quick and easy, yet I forget how lovely they are until I see one like this!

If it was me, I'd go with an orange print that's primarily orange with a little white in it. Then I'd use white thread to quilt it. I'd use white batting and I'd wash the backing fabric before quilting if there's much dark orange in it.

Your quilt is beautiful! I use Warm & White or Warm & Natural and have never had a problem, with the back showing through to the front. I would use a neutral thread, on both front and back.

Very, very nice - - thanks for sharing!

I love your quilt. It is beautiful. You are very good.

I like Nilla's idea, too - orange with white in it. Or, you could always piece the back with leftovers from the front, if you have enough fabric. Wide horizontal stripes would be striking. Whatever you decide, your quilt is gorgeous. Makes me want to do one like it ... but then, every one I see that I like, I want to do it, too! So little time to indulge! Let us know your decision.

Welcome to the board....love your quilt. Since your DH would like orange either get what was suggested above or get an orange blender. I did a quilt with the orange blender as a backing and it worked out great. I also used orange variegated thread to quilt it with. You'll have to let us see your finished quilt. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

A light tan or beige for backing fabric? Just a thought

Welcome to the board and that is a beautiful quilt.

I love your quilt! I've never had a problem with the backing showing through to the front when good batting is used.

Not sure I would put a solid orange fabric on the back, for fear of it shadowing, or showing through, but possibly with Warm and White batting, it would be ok. I would take it to a quilt shop and audition some fabrics, and also ask opinions of the people there. I think your quilt is very pretty and cheerful, and you did a really nice job!

I LOVE this quilt!!

Yes, My thoughts exactly. I would love to see an orange back w/ white thread. Juicy!

Are you going to quilt it yourself? As for me, I like to use at least a mottled color as someone else suggested because I don't want my FMQ on my Pfaff to show up so much. At the least I would do a practice piece using the backing and batting that you plan to use, along with a leftover block. I always end up making several of these as I audition the quilting design I want to use and the batting. Your quilt is beautiful. I understand your wish to use DH ideas.

With all that white in your beautiful quilt, make sure you use a white cotton batting. I have had good luck with Warm and White. I too would suggest a mottled orange back for a little interest. Can't wait to see it when it is finished.

I'm not sure how this would look without auditioning it. Perhaps an orange binding with your choice for backing?

Love your quilt top!

Very nice quilt - you did a great job!!

I personally use medium to dark colors for backing most of the time. I've not had a problem so far with them, but I haven't used white or even really light pastels on the tops either.

Since you are concerned about the color, I would go with one of the lighter orange fabrics rather that the darkest or brightest orange.

You might also consider using a white polar fleece as your batting to eliminate see through. Although I think any white "felted" batting would work well for you. I would not recommend using a poly fiber batting as that would probably not be dense enough to prevent shadowing.

You've done a beautiful job on this!

Your quilt is fabulous! I have done quilts with a lot of white on the front and use either Warm & Natural or Warm & White and never have had a problem with the backing showing through. Although, I tend to use more lighter colors on the back. I think the idea with a mottled orange would look great!

Love your quilt top. The colors are so happy. I will leave the advice to the experts as I as still a newbie.

Welcome from Texas. I use a lot of white in my quilt tops, and I use white Warm and Natural batting. I have never had a problem with the backing showing through. An orange should work really well for the back, a lighter orange if you are really concerned about it. I also use white backings often, and that has never been a problem either. I don't drag my quilts around on the floor like a kid would, so they don't get dirty or anything.

Your quilt top is beautiful, by the way. You have to be proud of it!!!

Dina

Your quilt is awesome. I would use a medium color backing rather than a dark one.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. You are so generous!

Sounds like warm and white is the way to go with the bat. I'll have to ensure I get that. I will be sending out for quilting and binding. I've done it myself before, but with an oversized king, it's just too much for me to handle with my 'ol singer. And just not my favorite part of the process.

After a day of driving to quilt shops, and bringing home a few fat quarter samples for DH, we settled on a Bella solid aqua for the back and an orange w teeny floral motif for binding (right side of photo). (Rejected happily went to my stash: soft orange floral for back, an orange gingham for binding, and a green polka dot for binding.)

I'll be joining the backing w a vertical strip of my scraps. What do you think?

I cannot answer your question, but I wanted to say how beautiful your quilt top is.

My last finish has a dark purple mottled back and a lot of cream blocks on the front. No show through with Hobbs 80/20. I never worry about show through even with a poly batt as long as the white is a decent weave. I used a purple varigated thread on the back and cream and tan on the front on the last one.

Marshall's Dry Goods has some wide backings in mottled colors. Orange?? I don't remember.

Hi Erika,
WOW. What a lovely quilt. The colours are great. From experience if i have white in the top i usually go with a light backing. There are some realy ncie tone on tone creams you could have a look at. It not always that the colour comes through the batting but it takes the whiteness away from the white. If you get what i mean. Try some samples and see. Cheers. Quilter.

Your quilt is beautiful, and I love your final choice of backing and binding are a lovely contrast, I hope your DH appreciates all your hard work.

I like the idea of the orange backing, perhaps mottled or faint pattern to it If you quilted with white the stitches would show up on the back. I like the look of the back of the quilts too! Warm and natural usually blocks the colors from showing through.

That is a really pretty top! So much COLOR. Love it. Your backing won't show through the batting. Most of my quilts have a lot of white on the top, and I use darker colors or all prints on the backing, with Warm and Natural cotton batting. The batting prevents any colors showing through the whites on my tops.

Once I worried that the natural batting (versus bleached white cotton batting) would dull my whites on the tops, but it doesn't. They look white as ever.

I do this all the time! It's like a little "surprise" on the back of the quilt...