Top with white background problem
 

I'm in the process of putting together a quilt with a white-on-white background and a Tula Pink fabric. It's the MSQC Wedge Diamond pattern and it has fairly large areas of the white background fabric, which is something that I've never done before. All of my other quilts have had darker colored backgrounds or very small areas of white, so I never ran into this problem.

The problem is that no matter what backing fabric I sandwich a block with, when I hold it up to the light, I get horrible show-through. I've got a whole roll of Quilter's Dream request batting, which is pretty thin, but I tried it with two layers also.

The other day I bought four yards of fabric for the backing - white background with a fine but not very dense vine-y, leafy design, that I was sure wouldn't show through. Well, guess what? It sure does! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/frown.png This morning I found two yards each of some fabric in my stash that I got at Hobby Lobby a few years ago. Different prints, but same line, so the same colorway. They're also much darker that the one that I just bought, with very bold prints, but the lime green and the aqua go much better with the Tula fabric than the almost kelly green of the leaf fabric.

I've pieced different fabrics for backings before, so I was thinking of just sewing these two prints together for the back.

I'm making this quilt for me, so I have more lee-way than if I was giving it away, but I would like a solution to the show-through fabric (this is why I've stayed away from quilts with a lot of white. That, and I tend to spill stuff...) I can't afford to buy different batting right now, and like I said, I have a ton of the Request.

I don't want to back it with solid white; I just finished a quilt with Kaffe Fassett fabric that I backed with white and while I love the quilt, I'm not fond of that solid white back. I thought about layering the top with some thin muslin, or since I get show-through no matter what fabric I use, maybe just back it with the fabric that I like the best, suck it up, and learn to live with the show-through. And vow to never, ever make another quilt with such large areas of white fabric again.

What say you? Any ideas?

Why are you holding it up to the light? No quilt can pass that test! Instead, look at it laid out on the bed. If no show-though, don't worry about it.

I use a lot of WOW fabrics for backings and never have a show through. Even when using black or dark reds. I do buy my WOW 108" -120" wide made for quilt backing. This could be the difference. I usually use a W&N batting to and that too can make a difference. I am just finishing up a quilt that uses a Hobbs 80-20% and with the many bold colors in this quilt I am getting no show through or see through problems. These two factors combined make the difference. To resolve without changing one of these elements I would think about adding additional batting since it is so thin or taking the added expense and replace the backing to something heavier. Try a sampling first before spending a great deal of money.

If my quilt is very thin, and I haven't made a very thin quilt in years, I too would hold it to the light to make sure it was heavy enough. A lesson learned in my early days. I no longer use a thin bat for this reason. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png. You're a sweetie Sewbizgirl. I don't hole them up anymore either.

Julia, it's the WOW background in the top that's the problem, not the backing fabric. But now that you mention it, my Kaffe quilt with the white backing has no show-through either. That never occurred to me.

SewBizGirl, you may have a point. I'll try that and see how it looks.

This is the pattern : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJaPo9oKkEY&app=desktop

BTW Julia, it looks like we're neighbors! I was just in Waterford the other day, visiting The Little Quilt Shop. Cute little store! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Thank you...problem solved! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Even with one thin layer of the Request batting, there's next to no show-through. I'll decide later if I want to use two layers of batting. It's a 62"x62" throw and I just want something lightweight to throw over my legs.

I was going to suggest a layer of solid white between your top and the batting, or between the backing and batting, or both.

Echoing what Peckish said, sometimes using a thin natural muslin as a backing layer can work well. With white fabric, I find sometimes using a bright white underneath it (whether batting or fabric) actually emphasizes the issue, while off white softens it. Same sort of reasons why wearing a beige bra under a white top is a better solution than a white one.

The white seam is one of the reasons I prefer to press my seams open, just can't stand what happens when you put two pieces of white together with a side seam.

Iceblossom, that makes sense, though all I have is white muslin.I may spring for some natural, or decide to just leave well enough alone. I was just telling a friend that I learn something new with every quilt I make.

I press my seams open too. I was just looking at a picture online of a quilt top, same pattern I'm using, and WOW those white seam allowances really stuck out!

I, too, would add another layer of light coloured fabric between the backing and batting.

Do you spray baste? If so, it will be easy to spray baste these layers together and presto, you're all set to quilt it.

Watson

Have you tried it with a white batting? I think it is worth it to use a backing that I really like after putting time into piecing, appliqueing etc. the quilt.

I was thinking the same. I doubt you'll ever hold it up to the light so why worry about it? If it looks okay laying on my table, it's okay.

I use a lot of tone on tone for backings. I like them and they do tend to be easy to work with.

Watson, I don't spray baste, but I do use Elmer's glue.

I've pretty much decided that the batting will be enough. I really can't see the backing fabric through even one thin layer of batting and the top with it lying on the table, so it will be fine.

I do have a king size cream colored flannel sheet that I use on our bed in the winter - I'm trying to decide if I want to sacrifice that, instead of another layer of batting or muslin, to make it warmer.

I always use white batting with a quilt with a lot of white for this reason. If you're still bothered by the batting or backing showing through the top I would invest in an inexpensive white sheet to quilt between the flimsy and batting.

Yes, my batting is white, but it's thin.

I should have the top done in the next couple of days, so once I have both the top and the backing done, I'll sandwich them with one layer of batting and see how it looks. If I'm not happy with it, I'll decide if I want to add another layer of batting, or a layer of muslin.

So thanks to all the suggestions, that's the game plan. 😊

Okay, so I have this weird confession.

I actually adore white fabric in quilts. I think that was started by my grandmother, all of her quilts had white backgrounds, no doubt from using up sheets, but I'm almost positive that's where my love affair with it started. She did an Irish Chain in white and blues that was just incredible and I always promised myself that someday, I would make an Irish Chain with white and blue.

Skip ahead to the here and now, I've yet to make any quilt with white, I am actually terrified of it. That is just from the fact that white gets dirty and stains easy and the show-through seam allowances. I know there are ways around those issues, but suffice it to say, when it came time to design my sister's quilt, I had zero intentions of using white and I love white on the DWRs.

The funny thing is, I plan to make my older sister a lap quilt, an Irish Chain, in white and blue, I can't get away from white when I think about Irish Chains, though I have seen some real stunners in natural and ivory. So, white is in my future, I've accepted my fate, lol.

Thank you for the link to the pattern! Did you try the tip in the video Jenny gave that she says allows you to keep your points from being sewn into the seams?
She said to stay on the seam side when you sew where the seams intersect. Does she mean Seam allowance? I would like to try the pattern and can use tips on how not to loose the points. :)

Yes, that is what she means. I press my seams open and line them up by putting a pin through the tips of the points, before I pin the rest of the seam. It's much easier to see where those points are, so that I don't sew over them. You also get a much flatter join where all of those tips come together.

I really like this pattern and I want to make another, much larger one at some point, only with the corner pieces sewn on in some of the different ways that she mentions.

I have a few yards of fabric that has what looks like newspaper clippings all over it and I'd like to use that for the background, with scrappy black and white fabrics for the colored blocks.

Ideas...ideas...ideas... 😁