Im glad this came up. I was thinking about using a sheet as a back for my ugly practice quilt. Now Im going to go for it for sure.

I recently made a bunch of quilts and to save money I bought flat sheets for the backing. Not only was the quality excellent, and the drape was very nice, but I saved money and had fabric left over from it.

I am inspired. I have had a mid-arm for almost two years and haven't touched it, except to move it and run into it. I have been "afraid" to try it, partially because I didn't want to ruin a top I made and partially because I am too attached to my stash to start pulling fabric and playing. So, I am going to go purchase two twin sheets, some cheap batting, and give it a whirl. I figure I can always use the end result as a picnic blanket or something.

I lived with a rancher's wife (as their cook) during my last year of college and she used to dye white sheets to match her quilts. She always used sheets as backing, but she was very frugal and I always saw it as "hillbillish". Now I know better!

I just used a sheet -soft cotton-- as squares in my great-grand daughters baby quilt. The sheet was my grandmother's and she died in the 1960's. So figure out how old it is. Nothing will last forever.

I would be careful of the thread count. Lower thread counts sometimes "pill" after a few washes, and you wouldn't want that on the back of your quilt.

I use sheets all the time

I often use sheets, buy cotton ones on line in the U.K. No problem with hand or machine quilting. :-D

if you use muslin sheets, with no poly content, you won't get "pilling". and if you toss them in the washer and dryer a couple of time, shrinkage won't be a problem, either. just look at the content, and match the fabric you are using. if your quilt top has poly fabric, then the backing should match. poly content sheets will tend to pill after a while--but you can get "sweater shavers" for cheap at thrift stores, and most fabric stores--and they work!

i agree with the majority--heck--it's your quilt; use whatever you want to! our grandmothers used whatever they had--feed sacks, used clothes, donated fabric--and they kept us warm and fascinated with the lovely things they made from their hearts and hands.

Sheets make a great backing and as was mentioned earlier, can be found for practically nothing at thrift stores and discount stores. When you buy the set, you have the backing and lots of fabric to use in the piecing. Or you can just buy the flat sheet and get the shams for like 69 cents at our local thrift store if you only want a touch of the backing in the top. You can save a little more money that way.