luvstoquilt

I often piece my backs with the left over from the front. My favorite LAQ has never complained. I iron my seams open and cut off the selvage edges. A friend of mine decided to do the same when she saw mine. LAQer fussed at her so I asked why she didn’t fuss at me...ir was because the back wasn’t pressed and selveges were not removed. I never thought it would be a problem and had never thought to ask.

Barb in Louisiana

I longarm my own quilts. I did only one quilt with the seam vertical to the rollers. Even though I had cut off the selvedge edge and ironed the seam open, I still had a huge humpy by the end of the quilt and had to fight with the top to keep the very slack edges of the pieced top from having nips and tucks. That was the last vertical seam in a back for me. Now, if I can't use a single piece back, I buy 108 to 120 inch wide fabric when I see it on sale, I always make my seam as one that runs parallel to the rollers. I mostly use pantographs and they are almost always set up to run across the quilt and do look similar to rows even though the edges are inter woven. They don't look as good to me if they run lengthwise on the quilt top.

SusieQOH

I've sent several large quilts out to be longarmed by different people and nobody mentioned the seam. The only thing they say is to have x amount of inches side to side and top to bottom.

recycler

Boy, there is a lot of good information in this thread! I really appreciate all of your comments as I just never pictured all that can happen with backings if pieced wrong. My long armer has never complained about my backings and has done a great job, so they must have been ok so far, but I will definitely give her a call to discuss her methods and preferences! Thanks so much for your help!!

Grandma Mary

What do you do if the quilt is too long to turn it horizontally.

Jingle

I quilt my own quilts on my 9" throat DSM and they always come out good. I am easy to please if it is done by me.

klswift

I almost always piece my backs - just to add a bit of a design element. My quick favorite is to cut it in 4 pieces and sash them together like a giant block. But, if I am only piecing 2 long pieces, I tend to use one whole piece in the center and split the other to use along each side (think 1/2 a whole and 1/2). I just like the look of it rather than a seam down the center.

amyjo

I’ve sent my fabri to the long arm lady and she gets it together the way she wants. Lately now I have been sending 108” backs. Cheaper for me to buy that way and no seams in the back