I piece it using the most economical method. I quilt on a longarm and have not really had any problems with where the seam is. I did have a customer give me a quilt pieced down the center and she had not cut off the selvedges. This is a very important step as the seam will pucker if the selvedges are not cut off.

That's how I do it, Prism, but half the time, despite my best attempts to attach it firmly and straight to the edge of my table, the long seams end up slightly wonky on the back side. I'd be terrified to use a striped back. :)

hugs,
Charlotte

If I need to piece a back, unless I'm in a hurry or have some other specific reason not to, I like to throw some bands of blocks into the seams. Usually fabric from the front, but sometimes it's coordinating fabric I bought FOR the quilt but it ended up not making it INTO the quilt top for whatever reason. Sometimes I do neat blocks, sometimes I do "improvisational piecing" with wonky shapes and slices. Sometimes I do just one, sometimes I do a big "plus" sign, sometimes I make it a block off in a corner... The back is sort of my playground. :)

I like whole-cloth backs the best, but pieced backs can be a lot of fun.

I quilt on my DSM and rarely have problems. The only time I've had issues is when I did a double-sided, fabric-foundation pieced crazy quilt and all my block intersections lined up front & back. HUGE knots of fabric that I could barely sew through, had to just start driving around those!

I do mine like this. I seldom add blocks to the back. By the time I piece the front I am just ready to get it done and start another.

My longarmer wants it pieced lengthwise in the center if possible. She says that horizontal piecing puts too much strain on the quilt while it's on the frame. I always try to comply because she does great work. froggyintexas

Lately I have decided to start using as many as I can of my leftovers from the quilt top so that I won't have so many scraps. I don't "do" scrappy because of my inability to handle "random.":eek:

The backs look like fronts!!! Beautiful!!

I do not think it makes any difference where the seam is on the backing. and either does the quilt! 108 wide backing is great to use but often I want a color backing that better matches the front of the quilt. I like the idea of adding a coordinating stip to the backing to tie it in with front. I have made my own backing by sewing left over fabric to gether but I really HATE doing that! Making a square 108 x 108- what a pain!!!!!

I'm with Jeanne S. I like to piece on the back also. It's a great way to use up the pieces of fabrics that are left from the front. I don't attempt to "center" the piecing. I always make it off center, intentionally. That way I don't have to worry about it being exact when I quilt. Someone once pointed out that it's also a great place to store fabric. If the front gets damaged later, there will be fabric to piece the front that is faded the same as the front.

I have used the 45" width and added pieces to each side as several have suggested. I have also sewed 2 long pieces together and put it horizontal. I often put a strip of blocks or fabric horizontal but not in the center, just offset it toward the top of the quilt. That way when I LA I don't have to be concerned with centering it. I do like wide backing also.