Backing for quilt
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 319
Backing for quilt
Hi fellow quilters,
Quick question. Do most of you have one seam or two seams on the back of your quilt when you are piecing it. And if you have one seam, do you usually put it in the middle or put it off to the side?
Thanks for your input!
Quick question. Do most of you have one seam or two seams on the back of your quilt when you are piecing it. And if you have one seam, do you usually put it in the middle or put it off to the side?
Thanks for your input!
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,148
1 or 2 seams depends on how much fabric I have for backing. Usually 1 seam that I try to get close to the center as possible! I have heard that the seam should be off center since there would be then less stress on the seam. I usualy do not buy 90" backing but rather get 45" and 5-6 yds and cut the fabric widthwise and then sew 45" ends together. A piece of fabric 45x 6yd (216") cut and sewn this way would yeild a peice 90 x 108 which is enough to back my usual size quilt of 80x95. the seam goes crosswise on the quilt. The quilt does not care which way the seam goes. I have a really hard time centering backing that has multiple fabric in it so I try not to do this. Also the way I sandwich my quilts is to lay one edge with a little hanging down on the plywood board I have on my table, clip it down with binder clips, lay batting and top on and pin.(except I is 505 spry adhesive) This means that I do not work from the center out when sandwiching but rather about 2/3 and then I move sandwich and pin the other 1/3. This way I am only moving and re-anchoring the sandwich 1 time instead of 2 times. Easier? try it and see.
#8
I don't really care where the seam goes, and often I piece the back to the point that it's almost like a top so the seams go all over.
I have heard that there shouldn't be a seam in the center, but I don't understand why. Why would there be more stress in the center of a quilt? Are people playing tug-of-war with it? Even if they were, won't the quilt break at the weakest link, which could be off-center? (Just teasing of course.) My feeling is that after the quilt is quilted, any seams are pretty much hidden and are certainly stabilized. If it mattered at all on a bed quilt (say you thought the area with the seam might be rougher), wouldn't you want that seam in the center so that neither person under the quilt would be directly under the seam?
As far as longarming, I just turn the quilt so that the main seams are horizontal while the quilt is on the frame. It does make the backing lay better that way. I don't care whether the quilt is right-side-up, upside-down, or sideways on the frame. I understand that some designs might be easier to quilt if the quilt is in a certain orientation, but most of the time it wouldn't matter (and it never matters for the quilting I do).
I do care about how the fabrics on the back look if I'm using multiple fabrics there, and I try to arrange them in a pleasing manner, but if there's just one fabric, I just make sure I don't have a seam so close to the edge of the quilt top that it will cause problems when I trim the backing and start to bind it.
I have heard that there shouldn't be a seam in the center, but I don't understand why. Why would there be more stress in the center of a quilt? Are people playing tug-of-war with it? Even if they were, won't the quilt break at the weakest link, which could be off-center? (Just teasing of course.) My feeling is that after the quilt is quilted, any seams are pretty much hidden and are certainly stabilized. If it mattered at all on a bed quilt (say you thought the area with the seam might be rougher), wouldn't you want that seam in the center so that neither person under the quilt would be directly under the seam?
As far as longarming, I just turn the quilt so that the main seams are horizontal while the quilt is on the frame. It does make the backing lay better that way. I don't care whether the quilt is right-side-up, upside-down, or sideways on the frame. I understand that some designs might be easier to quilt if the quilt is in a certain orientation, but most of the time it wouldn't matter (and it never matters for the quilting I do).
I do care about how the fabrics on the back look if I'm using multiple fabrics there, and I try to arrange them in a pleasing manner, but if there's just one fabric, I just make sure I don't have a seam so close to the edge of the quilt top that it will cause problems when I trim the backing and start to bind it.
#10
Many people say you shouldn't join the seam in the middle as this is the area that get the most wear.
I can't remember where I picked this tip up (probably somewhere on here, lol) but if I need to join 45" wide fabric for backing, I firstly unfold the pieces to be joined, then iron out the centre seam.
I then place the two pieces right sides together, selvage to selvage and sew seams, forming a 'tube'. It's up to you whether you sew 1/4" or 1/2" seams or trim the selvage. Press seams open or to the side, as you prefer.
Then, with sharp scissors cut the 'tube' up the centre - you'll probably still be able to see the original shop fold to guide you.
The joining seams will now be even on each side and you will have a large section in the middle.
I can't remember where I picked this tip up (probably somewhere on here, lol) but if I need to join 45" wide fabric for backing, I firstly unfold the pieces to be joined, then iron out the centre seam.
I then place the two pieces right sides together, selvage to selvage and sew seams, forming a 'tube'. It's up to you whether you sew 1/4" or 1/2" seams or trim the selvage. Press seams open or to the side, as you prefer.
Then, with sharp scissors cut the 'tube' up the centre - you'll probably still be able to see the original shop fold to guide you.
The joining seams will now be even on each side and you will have a large section in the middle.
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