I use quilt shop quality cotton and piece the backing. i want it to be the same quality and the same thread count as the front fabric so that it will launder and will wear the same way.

I've been quilting sice 1969 and we have a quilt on our bed now that I finished in 1990, and it still looks great.

i use yardage but sometimes do piece the backing

I usually just use yardage of a fabric that complements the quilt top. I haven't done a pieced backing yet, but I might try it some day. I haven't tried the wider backing fabric, but Ill have to figure out if it's cheaper than buying yardage and then piecing it together.

I have used anti-pill fleeze on some of my quilts because it is wider than regular fabric. What is your opinion on using this?

I use anything I have on hand.

I'm not that picky. I use whatever is on clearance at the quilt shop if it is to be quilted. If it is to be tied, I usually use Joann's Snuggle Flannel on the back. Never used sheets or muslim - if I'm going through the effort of quilting it, I want it interesting on both sides. Of course, until recently my machine quilting wasn't all that great. Much improved now. Once in a while I look for fabric that seems related to the front - for instance, I bought some pirate fabric to go with the pirate front. Still have to piece the back because they didn't have enough. But it will look interesting!!

I use some matching (to the front) print fabric....flannel is used to line my quilts.

We were instructed not to use sheets for hand quilting because the thread count is usually too high and it is hard to quilt through by hand. It probably would not matter for machine quilting.

A1 has it right. The tight weave of the high thread count sheets made it hard to get ahandquilting needle thru. That being said, some long armers love them and some have machines that DON"T like them. As with most everything on this board: use what works for you! BTW I use whatever I have on hand that works with the front. I love Love LOVE scrappy backs and I hate Hate HATE to piece them! (I am SO weird!) This is my fav site for piecing a back.

http://www.maryquilts.com/off-center-4-patch-backing/

its my go-to pattern when I dont' have a wide back or enough of one fabric to piece a whole back.

If the quilt is less than 40" I just buy yardage but I'm thinking for my next quilt (twin size) I will piece :)