piecing quilt back
 

I normally buy wide backing but can't find what I want so if I piece the back together with 45" wide fabric do you piece it down the middle, across at the middle or in diagonal pieces. I am not sure how to do it to keep most of the stress off the seams when the quilt is done and being used a lot.
Thanks

I don't put a seam down the middle. I put 45 inches or WOF in the center, then equal amounts on each side to get the width. (Or length if you're piecing horizontally.) You can also get fancy with your piecing and make a giant 9-patch or something similar.

Where you place your seams depends somewhat on whether you plan to quilt using a sit-down machine or a frame. With frame quilting, you want to be careful not to have your seams running up and down as the extra fabric in the seam rolling upon itself will eventually distort the quilt.

Traditionally, the method is to run the full width of fabric down the middle with a seam on each side. This works well for hand quilting and also for machine quilting on a domestic machine. You can do the same for a quilt that will be longarmed, but in this case you would want to run the full width of the fabric from left-to-right so the seams aren't rolling on top of each other.

I have quilted only on my Bernina and I try to make sure that the seam doesn't run down the middle. I never have noticed in almost 30 year of quilting if it makes a difference with a vertical or horizontal seam. I do a lot of charity quilts and it usually what ever works with the fabric I have.

if you don't need it wider than 66" you can do a diagonal seam, it looks nice and works well on the frame. you can look up John Flynn to get the formula for how much length you need.

Sew both edges together, then match seams one one side and cut down that crease...you will end up with full width on center and halves on edges.....

I do the seam down the middle on anything smaller than a queen size. I've not had issues with the back getting distorted or creased. BTW I quilt on a longarm.

Simples, Brilliant !!

I almost always do a little piecing on my quilt backs, even if I have the wide backing because I think it adds interest to the overall quilt. It is a great way to use up leftover blocks and other fabric scraps. I have not had any difficulties quilting through the seams on both sides, and the ones I have sent to the long arm quilter have come back great with no complaints from her either. Here are a few examples of some backs:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]501914[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]501915[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]501916[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]501917[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]501918[/ATTACH]

Very creative Jeanne S. Beautiful quilts!!

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.

I was going to suggest that you look up John Flynn as well he teaches a good method on the back done on the diagonal.

Well,I'm a longarmer and I try to mount the longest sides of the backing on the frame,so I don't have to roll as often.So,I would want you to run the seams top to bottom of your quilt.If the seams are perpinduclar to the bars they stack up on themselves The rest of the backing sags and I get folds in it.That being said,figure out how you are going to have it quilted and make the back like the quilter requests.Not all longarmers mount the long sides of the quilt.Some mount the top and bottom.Just ask,I'm sure they can help you decide.

This is how I do mine also.