What a great idea.

cool. haven't thought about it, but i can see applications where it could be easier or better done from the back

I do it all the time, especially for children's quilts. I buy a big plaid for the back, or a coordinating checkerboard/patchwork, and follow the lines.

I sometimes buy the bigger print for the back and the smaller for the front for piecing, then follow the shapes on the back. It ties the two together.

I have not done it but if you have a nice overall design on your backing fabric, it would be easy to do outline quilting from the back. Also, if you do any bobbin work, you have to work with the top down.

That sounds like a good idea. I'm going to try that.

I have quilted from the back when I have a nice fabric pattern and want to use it to do FMQ, & have no real plan for the front.

On my next quilt, i'll do that quilt it from the back.
Glad you ask that question.

Got me thinking...could one not mark the backing with washaway pen before you sandwich the quilt together ...just like the one they sell...I may try this on a small baby quilt...

A friend did this because the front of the quilt was too distracting for her to quilt the usual way. She had a good story to tell at our guild's show & tell, for sure.

ali

I haven't hand quilted from the back, but I frequently FMQ that way. On a child's quilt to be given away, I'll use a fabric with an overall design on the back. My favorite is to FMQ in a loopy-dee-loop design around polka dots. :D