Wow. Price of Backing.
 

Just bought a backing here in Canada for a queen size quilt. 3 yards of 108.... $90.00 plus tax brings it to just over $100.00 just for the backing.

Can't wait for the day I feel it is safe enough virus-wise to go across the border to Joann's.

Watson

All fabric prices are going up. Even tho I have enough fabric, I'm tracing prices of precuts and they started going up about a mondth ago. Just have to shop my stash.

for quite a while now, I have been going to the "sales" section of any quilt store or online site. I check for bolts on sale that have enough yardage for a good sized quilt. If I can find something that has 9 plus yards and I think it would make a backing for something, I snatch it up. I have at least 10 pieces now that would be enough for a large quilt. I look for things that are more neutral in color or are in colors that I know I have in my stash and also prints that would work fine. Some have turned out really cute and if I am making smaller one, sometimes I have been able to also make the outer border and still have enough for the backing. I know some people are real fussy about matching their backing to the quilt top, but a lot of my tops are scrappy and it works. Nobody really sees the backing when the quilt is on the bed.

Keepsake quilting is having a huge sale on their backing fabrics, and they have a large selection of good quality ones. They were already marked down, and now another 25% off. I bought quite a few (more than I probably should have). Only problem is, I don't know if they ship to Canada.

It does add up fast. Especially the quality backing. It always reminds me of the first time I purchased a mattress. The fabric was horrible. The sales person said, you never see it it's covered up. I saw it every time I changed the sheets. Backing is the same. Some people just use any combination and say that you never see it. But you do. It's pricy, but worth it.

If the design warrants it, I'd go with an inexpensive bed sheet. Try Walmart for 100% sheet sets. You can use all parts of the set for one thing or another.

I buy 108 backing from Marshall's Dry Goods. I like to buy the cheater cloth wide quilt prints and use that as backing too.

Backs and batting are my largest expenses as I try to use stash. Unfortunately I have fewer and fewer pieces of yardage at 6+ yards. I'm getting pretty creative over piecing backings -- more and more by choice, but there is an ease and joy in the extra width that I also appreciate and maybe even prefer if usually out of my price point...

I know eQuilter has offers on shipping and international orders, especially if you can order multiple pieces and total over $100 which is, as you are finding, just a couple of backs and that also usually gives you a coupon for your next order. They have options starting around $14 yard US/regular price for the extra wide.
https://www.equilter.com/

Many times at Joann the extra wide backs are not on sale with the rest of the quilting cottons and you can use those half price coupons!

And then people question why it costs so much to make a quilt????
Geesh!!!


Too late now, Watson, but did you check out Len's? They often have widebacks that are much more affordable than the LQS' and often the same fabrics!


The irony is that to buy the same square yardage in regular 40" width,
it would have cost you well over $160.
(about 8.1 yards @ $20 plus, calculated just on square yardage,
without any allowance for seams, pattern matches, etc.)

When available, I compare the two and will buy the wideback, and save the money, even if only the regular width is needed. Unfortunately, that option often is not available and when it is, we need to check that the quality is the same.

Using a flat sheet is a good idea, since the fitted sheet is what wears out first with a sheet set. However, not so good for hand quilting as I found out - a lot of them have sizing on that makes them stiff and hard to quilt through.

When we started making quilts back in the 1980's, a lot of people commented on how nice it was to see a pretty print on the back. I guess they were used to muslin.