Backing

The backing is the fabric that goes on the back of the quilt – easy!  

Since most cotton fabrics are 44/45″ (not wide enough to cover most full sized quilts), backs usually have to be pieced.  Sometimes all of the same fabric gets placed on the back while other backs will be made from many different fabrics. (Often these fabrics are the leftovers from the top.) Some folks even like to use another pieced quilt for the back.

When choosing a backing fabric, quilters need to think about their quilting design and thread choice.  A novice quilter would do best using matching thread on a busy backing fabric as imperfections will blend in.  Quilters who want their quilting lines to stand out would use a solid back with contrasting thread.

Today many fabric companies are producing “backing fabric”.  This fabric is 108″ (wide enough to cover most quilts) and does not have to be pieced.  If you would like to purchase 108″ fabric, click here.

Here are just a few examples of backing.