Many quilting books say to piece the backing horizontally to reduce strain on the seam. I clip the selvedge every couple inches on drapery panels or backing fabric. If you serged the edges together, the selvedge would be removed entirely. Piecing the backing has been done forever and I haven't seen a seam yet that has come apart, quilters know they have to make secure seams, no matter which way they go.

Carol J.

I'm a longarmer -- I'm working on a quilt right now with 3 seams in the back. The owner did not cut off the selvege and did 1/4" seams. The seams pulls as they say AND the seams will not stay flat. It causes "bumps" along the quilt and I have trouble keeping the machine on the straight and narrow. So -- save yourself and your longarmer a lotta grief and cut those babies off and do 1/2" seams -- and press the seams OPEN!

on edit: To explain --- I pressed the seams open before putting it on the machine --- but 1/4" seams do not seem to want to stay open. :) And I used starch, too!!!