Pieced Backing Help Needed
 

I just finished this top. It will be a Christmas gift for my DD and family. It is a throw size for their sofa.
I would like to do a pieced backing, either rectangles or stripes, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around how to do it so everything is even on the back because of the extra 3 o 4 inches you are supposed to add when you put the sandwich together. I'm sure someone on here will be able to explain so this newbie can understand. Thank you!

The second picture are the colors I'm thinking about using for the back.

When you put your quilt sandwich together you center it on your larger batting/ backing, the excess is trimmed away when you square up the quilt after quilting is completed. So, think about your backing as the outside few inches being cut away.

I like to sketch mine on paper first. I usually measure the top, add however much I want extra to figure out the total size of the back. Once I have an idea of what I want to do, then I play with measurements based on how much fabric I have to work with. Often, I will take the back length measurement and divide by 3. I usually round up/down to the nearest 5 just to make it easy on me. I usually put a strip of something between the smaller and larger pieces. Sometimes I will make a wider strip or strip of blocks, and add a narrow strip on either side, then put that between the smaller/larger backing pieces. Here is a link I started a while back to show some pics of backs.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...s-t148395.html

Thank you for the suggestions. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this. Better get out the graph paper! And katier, I enjoyed looking at the pictures of your backs.

Be careful not to create a lot of seams on the back because sometimes stitches will be skipped due to the bulk of the top and backing layers of seams and the batting.

Thanks for the advice Maniac. I've about decided to chuck my idea and use the leftover print for the middle of the back and use the blue as a border. I'll gain a little more experience before I try the pieced back.

Piecing backs isn't hard, I do it often, mainly because I didn't buy enough fabric. Just start in the middle and build out. Or start on one side and build out. Just remember those seams, the more seams, the more issues you MAY have, not necessarily will have. The only trouble I have is when I hand quilt with multi-seams on the back. So my stitches are not perfect at that spot. See if you can find it, on horseback, at a gallop, holding a chicken! LOL Your quilt, your rules.

Piecing your quilt back doesn't have to be centered and perfect. Throw some complimentary colors together and don't try for symmetry. It looks better that way. I throw in extra blocks, and strips.

It is almost impossible for a longarmer to perfectly center a pieced back because of attachment to leaders and take up as you stitch. Horizontal is more likely to be accurate than vertical. I would recommend discussing it with your longarmer before proceeding so you get the best result possible. If you are fmqing yourself do as suggested above.

I always off set my pieced backs due to the impossibility of hitting exact center. I make throws usually 48-56 inches wide. I cut 10-12 inches off one side of a back and add extra blocks to the "middle". This way it doesn't matter if it is 6" off to one side or closer to center.

Gram, whether you are making this back to be quilted by a longarm quilter or you on your DSM, you do need 1/2" seams in the backing - for some reason they lay flatter then a 1/4" seam...and don't use the selvedge in the seam as it has no stretch and the rest of the fabric does. As Judi said, make the back asymmetrical - much more interesting and so much easier!!!

i agree! That's what I do. You just want to give yourself a guide when your sandwiching your quilt so you can get your back seams running parallel to your front seams, i.e. Square...if that matters to you.

Sounds like you are quilting it on your DSM? Suggest you glue base, sketch ahead of time, etc. Very unlikely that your LA quilter can get it perfectly lined up--think about rolling to towels together--at the end they don't come out the same--same principal with long arm and part of the reason that you need extra backing.

Either way, be sure that your back pieces are on the straight of grain-especially if you are using larger pieces, so that you don't get stretching that results in tucks,etc.

I would allow some leeway in your design for the backing.

It is difficult to line up a back "exactly" with the front.

Remember it is the back....the front is the focal point.......don't agonize......how often do you look at the back of a painting? ....or the quilt on your bed?

When I piece backs to quilt on my DSM, I line it up with pins while basting. I'll put a row of safety pins horizontally and one vertically through the center of the back and line them up by "feel" to my front design. It's worked out pretty well for me that way. Remember to take the pins put of the back before quilting!