recycler

I have 2 quilts ready to take to the quilter and am attempting to get the backing ready (pieced), but am undecided whether to run the backing horizontally or vertically! Pros/Cons of either method! TIA!

quiltedsunshine

When a pieced back goes onto a longarm, it's best if the seam runs the same direction as the poles. Some quilts can be quilted sideways, and some cannot. We don't have to roll the quilt as many times if we can have the length of the quilt running side to side, or horizontally.

GEMRM

I think the long armer would be able to mount the quilt either horizontally or vertically, so you should be able to put your seams however you want, unless your quilt is exceptionally large in one dimension?

Jeanne S

My long armer takes it any way, I often have pieced designs on the back. Just ask yours if she has a preference.

stitch678

I use a longarm and put on piecec backs all the time. Contact your longarmer... ask if seams should be pressed open , and if 1/2" or 1/4" allowances preferred. Unless the quilt is huge, most frames can mount a quilt in either direction.

quiltingshorttimer

As a long armer who just had a bit of a problem backing I'm going to weigh in. First, I want all of you to grab a sheaf of papers, roll up 1/2 of them and put a rubber band on the middle (your seam), Now roll the 2-3 other pages around it--you'll notice that the outer pages will be loose on both ends because that rubber band creates a bulge in the middle. So when we get a back with 1+ seams all running the same direction, we'll load it so that those seams are parallel to the roller bars to prevent this. The back I just worked with had two parallel seams and then a shorter one where she pieced in another chunk of fabric. It probably would not have been much hassle except that the 2 parallel seamed pieces all had the grain going the same direction (length-wise) and the smaller chunk had grain on the width--so when I did some diagonal lines it pulled the bias much more on that one piece. Required lots of starch and steam to get it less flexible--but honestly anytime I've had any pucker in a backing it's been this situation where the piecing had been done with grain going several ways and seams going several ways. The reason this doesn't happen with pieced backs that include pieced blocks (orphan blocks, etc) but has the seams basically going the same way is that the smaller piecing does not have as much stretch.

Most of us can turn a quilt to the side and still get the pattern desired so that is not any problem. (although if you want any writing in the quilt, that is a little trickier!)

recycler

Thank you for your input from the long armers vantagepoint! I really never thought about that! What i failed to mention is that I'm using a minky type back, so will have a nap and wondered if it would be strange to have it run across the quilt and not lengthwise...

dunster

Minky needs to be mounted a certain way on the longarm to avoid stretching. I haven't done it myself so I'm not sure which way it goes. Also it may not be possible to rotate the quilt on the frame if you want a quilting design that is directional. A discussion with the longarmer could solve several problems in advance.

lilli480

Perfect answer! As a longarmer, I won’t quilt a backing with vertical seams for that exact reason. I will turn it so the seam is parallel to the bars.

Rhonda K

I have pieced backing fabrics both ways. If the fabric is directional, it is seamed vertically. I use a half-inch seam allowance and then press to one side. That is finished with a line of top stitching which helps hold that seam. Plus lots of starch along the seam line.

I make sure to match the direction of selvages when piecing. If the selvage is on the LEFT of piece number 1 it is also on the LEFT of piece number 2. Selvages are trimmed off the backing. I also stay stitch around the backing.

Backing is starched, ironed and folded on a hanger for the quilter. It is also marked TOP and BOTTOM and shown to the quilter at the consultation.