Diagonally pieced backing to save on fabric
 

Hi all,

I'm sure I've seen other threads addressing this, but I saw this video on the Quilts for Survivors Facebook page today and found it to be a great visual for how to take a long WoF piece and do a diagonal cut to make it wider so that your backing can all be the same fabric. They use what looks like a large directional print and they address how to make it look good, too. Hope this link/method will be helpful for others, too!

https://m.facebook.com/groups/116336...ibextid=lURqYx

John Flynn, who makes the Flynn frame, has promoted this idea for years. I can see how it could help in some situations, but there also some serious drawbacks to watch out for. Long seams on the bias are going to stretch unless you're extremely careful. Just cutting a long seam on the bias can be problematic, since our workspaces and cutting tools are generally designed for handling smaller pieces, and it's much easier to fold and cut something on the grain. (Notice how many people are involved in cutting this piece in the video.) You also need to be aware of the math used to determine whether your fabric will be big enough for your quilt back when it is pieced this way. John Flynn's instructions can be found here. I'd be interested to hear whether anyone here has actually used this method, and how they liked it.

Thanks for the extra info, dunster. :-) I haven't tried it, but I have often been frustrated by not having fabric wide enough for my quilt backing. I will certainly do my research before I rush into this method thanks to your sensible comments!

I've made diagonal backings and used them successfully several times.

Me, too. Especially great for smaller quilts. As long as you don’t stretch the fabric while sewing the diagonal seam you’ll have no problems with it at all. You may need a long hallway to slice longer lengths of fabric though, lol.

I have used this method once and was pleased with the results. After quilting, everything laid nicely, seam barely visible.

Just make sure there is enough c fic to start with.

I've used it successfully, too.
bkay

I used it for a toddle quilt. And matched the large scale print.

I use this method a lot . Usually 58" wide is what I end up with. I fold and pin the fold then cut. I use a 6t folding table. I have made two of this type backing and sewed them together but mostly if I need very large backing I buy the wide. I like using the tube method for making backing from yardage. There will be two seams for the tube method. Good for two different fabrics.