A lot of quilters hate math so I am going to try to simplify quilt backings a little for you.

If you are making a quilt less than 40" wide, one length plus 6 inches is probably enough for your quilt backing. This would be a baby quilt. If your quilt is 40" wide by 45" long, you would need 45 + 6 = 51 inches for your quilt backing. This would be 1 1/2 yards and then you have some to square up the backing and your long arm quilter will love you!

If you quilt is between 40" to 80" wide, you need two lengths of your quilt top. If your quilt is 76 wide by 90" long, you need 90 + 90 + 12 = 5 1/2 yds and this gives you a little to spare for squaring up your backing.

If your quilt is over 80" wide, you need three lengths of your quilt top. If your quilt is 90" X 100" long, you need 100 + 100 + 100 +12 = 8 1/2 yards.

If I don't know what I am going to use the backing fabric on when I purchase it (I love sales!) I buy 9 yards, it will do any size quilt backing and I have some left over.

My above figures are based on piecing lengthwise of the quilt and using no piecing EXCEPT to get the width of the quilt.

Hope this helps.

Barb

Barb

i'm glad you posted this in an understandable way. i do queens about 96-98" square and i always buy 9 yards. those extra inches are just fine with me. on the la frame they give me some room on the sides to check tension and stitch length. on the top and bottom there's plenty for attaching to the leaders. when i take it off the frame and trim, the trimmings are always useful enough to keep for stash, which i don't mind. if i buy 108" backing fabric i buy 3 yards.

i always make the store unroll the entire 9 yards to check and make sure there are no misprints, slubs, or other defects before i get it home. sometimes you find that at the factory they have put two pieces together with those big white stitches in order to fill up the bolt. if it falls in exactly the right spot, i'll take it that way, but i expect a good discount. if it appears in a place that makes me have to piece across the width, i refuse it. it makes the owner very unhappy, but it would make me very unhappy to buy it. also, if the store only has one 8-yard bolt, i have them order another bolt before they cut the first two lengths. i would then have 2 lengths from one bolt and 1 length from the second bolt.

thanks for posting this, I have bookmarked it

i always make the store unroll the entire 9 yards to check and make sure there are no misprints, slubs, or other defects before i get it home

I agree with this. If they are measuring and find this spot I always consider whether I still want it. Thanks for mentioning this.

Barb