How to Piece Backing for Your Quilt – Easy Steps for Preparing Quilt Backing Fabric

A Comprehensive Guide to Piecing Quilt Backing

Are you ready to start piecing together the backing for your next quilting project but not sure where to begin? piecing backing fabrics can seem intimidating, but it’s actually a fun process that doesn’t require any special skills. In this article, I’ll walk through the entire process step-by-step and answer all your questions about selecting fabrics, cutting and piecing techniques, and preparing the backing for quilting. By the end, you’ll feel confident in your ability to create a custom backing for any quilt design.

Choosing your backing fabrics

1. The first decision is whether to use a single fabric or piece multiple fabrics together. Piecing allows for more design options but requires additional work. For beginners, a single fabric may be easier.
2. Consider the size of your quilt and purchase backing fabric with at least 6 inches of excess fabric on all sides to allow for trimming. This ensures you’ll have enough coverage.
3. Choose colors and prints that coordinate with your quilt top without being too matchy-matchy. Solids or tone-on-tone prints work well for most designs.

From my experience, cotton or cotton-blend fabrics are best for pieced backings as they stand up well to quilting. I like to mix up solid colors with small prints for visual interest. When in doubt, it’s harder to go wrong with a basic light or medium tone.

Cutting your backing pieces

1. Layout your backing fabrics on a flat surface and arrange the pieces to get a sense of the overall look and balance of colors and prints across the backing.
2. Use a quilter’s ruler and rotary cutter to carefully cut the fabrics into manageable pieces, aiming for widths between 12-18 inches. Leave at least a 1/4 inch seam allowance on all sides.
3. Label each piece with its placement position (e.g. “top left”) or use fabric tape or safety pins to keep pieces in order until pieced.

When cutting, be sure to cut parallel to the selvage if possible for most accurate widths. Rotary cutting produces nice, clean edges which will result in smooth seams. Keeping pieces labeled makes piecing much less frustrating later on.

Piecing techniques

There are a few different methods you can use to piece your backing fabrics together. The best approach depends on your skill level and preferences:

1. The simplest is to stitch pieces right sides together using a 1/4 inch seam. Press seams open or to one side, being careful not to pin the seams in place.
2. For neater seams, serge or zigzag stitch the long edges of each piece before piecing to prevent raveling. Then stitch as above.
3. For an invisible “butted” seam, stitch pieces together leaving a 1/8-1/4 inch gap between fabric edges. Later, quilt stitches will hide the gap.

No matter the technique, go slowly and take care to stitch accurately on the 1/4 inch line. Backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam for reinforcement.

Preparing the pieced backing

Once all the pieces are sewn together, you’ll want to prepare the backing for quilting by squaring it up and adding the batting. Here are the key steps:

1. Lay the pieced backing wrong side up on a flat surface. Smooth out any wrinkles and straighten the edges using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to trim if needed.
2. Cut the batting approximately 4-6 inches larger than the backing on all sides. Lay the batting on a flat surface and place the backing centered face down on top.
3. Using a tape measure and ruler, square up the batting and backing edges together so they are even.
4. Baste the backing and batting layers together using safety pins, long basting stitches, or spray basting adhesive. This keeps the layers from shifting during quilting.

A few test swaths with the machine will help you make sure the backing fabric isn’t too puckered before final quilting. Now your backing is prepped and ready for quilting sandwiches!

At this stage, it can help to have an extra pair of hands to help hold and smooth layers. Proper basting is key – you don’t want your pretty pieced backing slipping around beneath the quilting stitches.

Tips for success

1. Label all fabric pieces before cutting to avoid mix-ups. Pillowcase-style labeling works great.
2. Layer and pin pieces as you work to double check orientations are correct.
3. Press seams open or to one side as you piece for a smooth, professional look.
4. Leave plenty of excess fabric and trim pieced backing square after basting to prevent stretching.
5. For tricky seams, a 1/4 inch piecing foot can help keep accurate stitching.
6. Don’t stress over imperfections – chances are they’ll be covered by the quilt top and batting!

In the end, just have fun experimenting with color and fabric combinations to create a unique backing for your special quilt. I find the piecing process relaxing, and it’s so satisfying to see the finished results. With practice, you’ll be an expert in no time!

I hope this comprehensive guide has answered all your questions and given you the confidence to start piecing your own custom quilt backings. Please feel free to contact me if any part of the process is unclear or if you have additional questions down the road. Happy quilting!

Backing Material Selection for Quilts

FAQ

1. What material is used for quilt backing?

   Commonly used materials for quilt backing include cotton fabric, flannel, and even old sheets or t-shirts. Cotton fabrics are a popular choice because they are breathable and give quilts a nice drape. Fabric scraps also kind of work if you piece them together. Basically, anything lightweight and breathable will work well as backing.

2. How do I prepare the backing fabric?

   First, wash and dry the backing fabric before cutting. This helps get out any shrinkage. You’ll want to press it nicely too. Then cut it around 3-4 inches larger all the way around than your quilt top. This will allow a few inches to be folded over and hidden when you stitch the binding on. On the other hand, don’t cut it too big or you’ll have lots of extra fabric bunched up inside.

   

3. How do I piece the backing fabric?

   If your backing fabric is not big enough, you’ll need to piece it together. Lay out the backing sections and play around with the layout, sort of like a jigsaw puzzle. Overlap the edges by 1/2 inch and sew them together with a 1/2 inch seam. Press the seams open so they lay flat. Amazingly, with a bit of care the seams will be almost invisible on the back of the quilt. Nevertheless, try to minimize seams by conserving large pieces when possible.

4. Do I need to piece at a diagonal?

   For backing fabrics that are a bit small, diagonal piecing is a crafty way to squeeze out extra inches. Cut the fabric strips on the bias (diagonal) which causes the fabric to stretch more when sewn. However, bias edges can stretch out of shape over time more easily than crosswise or lengthwise grain. Maybe stick with straight seaming unless you really need those diagnostic inches!

5. Any tips for preventing bunching?

   When layering the quilt sandwich, take care to smooth out the backing fabric so it doesn’t get bunched up inside. One nifty trick is to spray the back of the quilt lightly with friction fabric spray first. This holds the individual layers in place pretty well as you quilt. Is that fair? It sure makes the process easier and helps prevent bunching issues later on. Ask any quilter – they’ve wrestled with a bunchy backing more than once for sure!

6. How can I hide seams on the back?

   To help diminish the appearance of seams showing through on the front, try pressing the seams in opposing directions every other seam – if you catch my drift. Like one to the left, the next to the right. This tactic kind of camouflages the actual location of the seam when viewed from the top. Doesn’t always work perfectly, but it seems to help tone down those peeking seam lines just a notch.

   

With a little planning and piecing, you can piece together quilt backing from scrap fabric remnants that might otherwise get tossed in the trash. It’s satisfying to give fabrics a new lease on life and put those scraps to good use. Who knows, maybe piecing the back will trigger fond memories of fabrics past. So don’t be afraid to get creative with those odds and ends!