As I started quilting niece Ella’s quilt today I got to thinking, what makes a great quilt back for me?
I’ve always leaned towards flannels and piecing leftovers for backing, but lately I’ve noticed myself gravitating towards large scale prints.
I all of a sudden have the ‘S’ rule for quilt backing.
SIMPLE in construction and on SALE.
Unless I can’t live without it I try to stick at $6/yard. I like out of prints, so it takes patience, but eventually the Alexander Henry Seagulls, Light Bright, Smiles Around the World, Stable Mates, Peace Signs and more came my way at the right price. That’s important when I’m generally purchasing around 4 yards of fabric.
I noticed when I started pulling what I buy for backing that isn’t flannel, it’s Alexander Henry.
Applying a binding that works with the front AND the back is important to me. Sometimes, like I did in Ethan’s quilt, I use the same fabric for the binding as the backing. I’m struggling with this in Ella’s quilt, but it will come together.
I am continually impressed by those that put a huge effort into their quilt backs. One late night I formed a Flickr group for quilt backs because I needed inspiration. I have to admit, although I like the idea of two quilts in one, I also like the idea of being DONE.
What do you do? And Happy Weekend by the way.
I watch for sale fabric also for backings — $6.00/yd max. But my backs are much more boring than yours — that needs to change! I also don’t have the patience to make a fancy pieced back — unless it’s a baby quilt. The baby quilts I make are 36 to 40″ square so it’s a little easier to get fussy with the back. I’ve been reading your blog for a long time — love all the inspiration I find here!
I sometimes buy backing 108″ wide wholesale. I buy backing usually smaller print to hide all my quilting but on sale is important. from $2.99 to 6$. I like whole cloth quilt backs and low contrast. I like high contrast binding that matches both sides.
I also like home spun or plaid backs, love moda wovens … love them!
Ha ha – did you know the link to your Flickr group is actually to a snowman fabric – in case you meant to link to the Flickr group 🙂
And I’m loving that stack of fabric – AH has the best large scale prints!
thanks lady!
I think both complex and simple backs have their place. I love the idea of a truely reversible quilt, but a single piece of fabric is also great. Mix things up, that’s what I say!
I’m quite a fan of pieced quilt backs, and unless it’s a scrappy quilt, I generally have a fair amount of the fabric I used for the front leftover to make a pieced back. Large scale prints look great though!
I like simple quilt backs, usually prints. I am also always on the look out for sale fabrics that would work. I often find that prints that are too big to piece are great on the back. My favorite is a a piece of fabric my daughter gave me for Christmas one year with Yoga Monkeys! It would have lost its impact if I had cut it up to use on the front.
I like you “S” solution for the backing of the quilts. I use to buy the 108″ wide fabric, but now I piece together whatever is in my stash that I don’t have a plan for. I also will check through the clearance fabric for low cost cotton or nice flannel. I really enjoyed looking through your gallery of quilt backs – inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
I usually just buy 1-to 1,5 yards so i´m almost always using pieced backs, but single fabric backs look really good, too. might try it next time, like your blog a lot, by the way !!!
Thanks Miekita!
hmmm, I’m a bit on the lets get this Done! opinion – but I also try not to use my expensive fabric. The back is nice if it’s pretty but I do think the effort goes into the front. I’ll be interested to see what is in the flickr group – great idea. Xx
It totally depends on the quilt for me. If I’m doing a scrappy or busy quilt – I like for the back to echo the front with pieces and panels. But the quilt I’m binding today is very minimalist. I bought wide backing for the first time in a very small, almost reproduction print that echoes the simplicity of the front. I have no rule of thumb, just whatever looks and feels good for each quilt. And binding is one of my favorite parts of a quilt. The right binding makes a quilt, for me, come to life. And I’m with ya on your $6/yd thing.
I like having a little interest in my quilt backs usually something scrappy. I did realize I tend towards the larger Alexander Henry prints also there’s something about them.
Lovely aren’t they?!
I have a terrible habit of making what turns out to be 2 quilt tops for every quilt. Even when I vow to make “just a back”, it’s hard for me to not make the back beautiful, too. I love setting the goal of not spending more than $6/yd for backing fabrics. The binding absolutely has to match front and back.
Great post! I have bought fabric on sale for future quilt-backings. Some of them work, some of them are still stashed up… Do you only make the purchase after you have pieced the top, Katie?
And now I want more Alexander Henry fabrics. This always happen to me after visiting a lovely blog…
No, I stash…can’t resist!
I tend to prefer very simple quilt backs… Sometimes when I see pieced quilt backs I think they would make a great simple quilt by themselves. I will have to check out your flickr group!
I agree that Alexander Henry makes great fabrics for backings! And, I’m with you on being DONE!
I’m envious of your AH stash. I find my all time favorite prints tend to come from them. I have a hard time with quilt backings because I’m so cheap, so a sale is a must!!! 😉
Always looking for great sales, but as far as my backing goes, lately I have been piecing them to use up the fabrics in my stash that I just had to have (back then). Now I wonder what ever possessed me to buy them. Fabric designs and colors are always changing.
As long as I am using up some of my stash, I don’t seem to feel as guilty about replenishing it, and buying more is soooo exciting!
I live in Canada, and find that quilting fabric is on the pricy side….around $16 a meter, so I’m usually sewing scrappy quilts to get the most for my money.
Thanks for letting me share.
Thanks Sharon. I noticed the prices when I was there!
If you don’t own a huge machine that puts all the nice designs on the thick quilted material, just how do you get a design sewn on the quilt?