Not at all an expert on this, or anything else, but I have friends who quilt for competition and have had the opportunity to hear some of the judging criteria, etc. The quilting should be visible...every stitch makes a difference to some judges. When they flip the quilt, it is to see the quilting. There should be no shadowing visible from the back to the front...and since handquilters are using thin batts much of the time if there is any light/white on front, there needs to be light/white behind the batt. White is not a no-no for a quilt that will rarely be anywhere except on a judging table, hanging in a show, packed for transport or storage. There's also no chance of using a color or print that the judge might have a slant toward/against if you opt white/light. Quilting on the front is all about making the most of the pattern...quilting on the back is all about the quilting...it takes the spotlight there and should not have to compete with a print. Think wholecloth and how you've wondered why someone left so much open space...to the detriment of balance. More and more the trend is back to the plain white/light backs for competition...seems its about winning favor of judges by making their work easier. Oh, not all entries will be in the hunt for ribbons...they're beautiful, and well made and hang square...but they are just rarely lucky enough to overcome what the "professional amateur competitor" has done because the goals were different from the start. I love to see them all...and thank God there's usually a Viewer's Choice ballot for those of us in the real world to vote for... and it doesn't often turn out to be the Best in Show winner. Don't you just love walking amongst all those quilts...it's just wonderful!

I've never thought about it before but have used both in shows. I usually take my quilts to the LAer. It's like Shadow said, what ever mood I'm in!

I have mostly used a cream colored back, because I have usually hand quilted my quilts and the recipients of the quilts have been people who really love to see the quilting on the back as much as the pieced front. I have just recently made two quilts that I had machine quilted for me, one was reversable, exactly the same pattern on the front as the back, just different fabrics and the other had a coordinating fabric with the front of the quilt.

I use a coordinating fabric, sometimes a print... Never white... But I don't compete and have messy kids!

I'm from Alabama, 62 yo, & my grandmothers both used muslin, feed sacks, whatever in quilts, as well as the clothes they made us when I was real small. Once my Dad got a Government Job, we moved out of the Country & our economic situation got better.

Eddie there are reasons people use different fabrics, colors, prints, solids. I've found fabric has different weights & if blindfolded I bet I could tell by feel which is Quilt Store quality. I've read several other quilters on the Board talk about the "feel" of their fabric. Take the feel test for yourself. Ask Melissa to take different fabrics, blindfold you & see if you can tell the difference. My fabric also "talks" to me. I know if I've made a mistake just by the sound of the machine, or if hand quilting how my needle is positioned (when it comes out the back side).

I tried tea dying muslin last summer, before my surgery, so plan to do more of that. It gives more of a Country look. I was using unbleached muslin, which showed up impurities in streaking, so will get bleached muslin for my upcoming quilts. Now that my grandchildren are teens, maybe they won't drag them outside.

I usually use color-coordinated fabric for the backs of quilts I make. Sometimes I use up whatever fabric I have leftover from the front though, and make a reversible quilt. The only time I used a "white" backing was when I hand-pieced and quilted a Double Wedding Ring quilt for myself. I used bleached muslin in the piecing and the same in a wide backing for the back. Turned out beautiful! I used the quilt on my bed when I was a widow with kids all grown and gone. But when I got married again, it went to live on a quilt rack. I am just too nervous that it will get stained or something. With my new husband came a cat that likes to sleep on our bed... :?

I have used muslin/white on some of the backs of my quilts... I, too, agree the back is as important as the front but do not feel that using muslin makes the back less important - I wanted the quilting to show - it does better on plain fabrics. I use whichever backing I feel is best for the quilt. I do not buy cheaper muslin as I do agree that quality on the front means quality on the back.

I have always coordinated my backing to my top as well. This weekend my daughter asked me to make them a duvet cover and I was thinking that is something I might back with a heavier muslin, or white broadcloth, but I will decide once she picks the colours and depending upon price difference

I have only made a few quilts and so far the backs have been coordinating material or a solid color that matches the front. I want the back of my quilt to look as nice, if possible, at the front.

I know many quilters in my area will use plain backing because they can find it local in wide widths but the main reason is cost.