What size batting and backing for a Quilt
 

I'm on my first quilt. I've finished with the front piecing. (It's basically a t-shirt quilt with those game towels they give out at games). I've been watching videos and reading places and they all say to have 4+ inches of batting and backing fabric on each side and top of the quilt front. I don't understand why that much excess is needed. I am planning on doing machine quilting on a regular sewing machine. Is all that excess only needed for those long arm machines and I can do just a couple inches on each side if doing it on the sewing machine?


I am thinking of self binding it with the backing, so that would make sense to have the backing bigger, but why the batting?


Sorry for likely such a clueless question.


My quilt is 70" wide by 87 1/2" long.

I think you’re right that it’s probably what is required for a long arm not for a domestic machine. Sometimes you want to have a little more than you think you’ll need because when you’re quilting it draws it up, therefore it’s better to have more than not enough. I don’t want to suggest a number of inches to you but normally you get the batting according to the finished size of your quilt. Good luck with your project.

Justice, When I started quilting I did the four inches all around. But now I have slimmed down that amount to about 3 " and occasionally 2". I would rather have the little extra than get to the end of my quilting and find the back and batting have shifted from poor basting or simply from the density of the quilting. I have had to make a last minute adjustment by piecing the batting and backing because I cut the bat and back too close to in size to the top. Recommendation: always cut batting and backing a bit bigger than the quilt top..

https://www.quiltingboard.com/vbulle...s-t310370.html
I made a tutorial with pictures of the way I bind my quilts. I usually fold to the back, but I have also folded to front. All three layers start out the same size, and I just fold back the binding side while I trim the batting and other layer. I allow 2 extra inches for a binding.

I would always leave a bit extra even when I am doing the stitch right sides together and turn cuz if the batting or backing shifts even a little, you could end up ripping and redoing. It is much easier to trim off the excess than to rip, add more and redo. I often leave extra on the backing; I find I can easily add the excess trimmed off to my stash of scraps or even bigger cuts sometimes. The excess I trim from the sides of the quilts I often use for the binding of the quilt or sometimes even for a different quilt. I never goes to waste.

I suspect it is for long arm quilting but I have found the batting to not always have straight edges so the extra covers that.

When I send a quilt out to be LA'ed they ask for at least 6" all the way around so they can attach it to the machine. So I usually send a bit more if I have it to on each side. If I am doing it on my DSM at home I can use a lot less and if hand quilting I like to leave about 4". It all depends on how I am having the quilting done..

FWIW - if you do find yourself running out of batting at the edges you can hand baste new batting where you need it and continue quilting.

At first I left the full four inches all around and found it helpful when doing FMQ because i could quilt right to the edge and still have something to hold onto to move the quilt. As I've gotten better at it I don't always leave that much. It just depends.