Choose a quilt backing with an interesting motif and then quilt from the back along the fabric's printed lines, to transfer the design to the front. You can do this on your ironing board and press it as you goâ¦it makes it very simple. 6. Place the ruler on the fabric, leaving the fold showing and trim off a slither (about 1/8â³) to cut the pieces. Instead of handling bulky quilts, you can quilt your project one block at a time. Itâs helpful to use a backing piece that is approximately 2.5â longer and wider than a mug rug top, or 3â³ wider on all four sides of a quilt to make centering it easier. The bold and funky Bayside quilt pattern is available in the pattern shop! The one problem I have, however, with every quilt I make, is the fact that it is awful hard to machine quilt on j⦠Having said that, I confess that I do break my own rules sometimes by not purchasing nice co-ordinating fabric for a back. It simplifies quilting for beginners because it is an easy way to join quilted pieces by machine. Fortunately it has only happen to me once on a quilt of my sisters. I try to take advantage of the show-through by using a fleece print that harmonizes with the colors on the front. The width of your quilt comes from the length of the backing. You don't want the back of your quilt to wear out long before the top. I work with a 24″ x 36″ mat however—while it isn’t exactly tiny, you can’t cut huge backing-sized pieces of fabric on it. Think about the direction of the pattern and pattern matching. Finishing A Quilt Part 2- Adding Batting and Backing - YouTube For the love of geese August 9, 2019 at 8:21 AM. So here’s Nadine’s quick and dirty, rip-it-up backing tutorial: Tear the opposite selvedge from the other chunk of backing fabric, in other words, if you’ve torn off the selvedge with all the dots and fabric manufacturers marks from the first chunk, tear the selvedge without all those marks off the second chunk. Cut along the diagonal line, to give two triangular pieces of fabric. Blog reader Betty C pointed out that the colors on the backing fleece can ghost through the fabric on the quilt top. In other words the seam you sewed will run across from side to side of your quilt. It still "goes with" the quilt top, without being overly expensive. Use a backing that coordinates with the quilt top if both will be visible during use. My first quilting teacher in 1994 (who did not believe in rotary cutting…) also taught us to rip, from blocks to sashing… Yep, this was my intro to quilting. Pin or clip into place. 1. Having the sides of the quilt parallel to the lengthwise grain (and the selvedges) will help the quilt hang straighter and with less waviness in the borders. I can’t decide whether that’s supposed to be a swimsuit or a fancy bra and panties, so I think I’ll leave it open to interpretation! Quilt-As-You-Go Quilt: Quilting is something that I absolutely enjoy. The only possible down side to this method is if you end up with a fabric that is so horribly off grain that when you tear it, you lose a quarter-yard because it’s so crooked on the end and you run short on length, and then you might not want to use the fabric for backing anyway. This is about the only time I tear fabric, and I’d never do it to actually piece a block or sashing or something. Sometimes it gets flipped over, or scrunched somehow and the back shows. Some quilters also like to piece the quilt backing, using the left over fabric from the front. This is true, especially if your top includes white or pale fabrics. I usually measure the length of the quilt and add 8”, and then measure the width and add 8”. I do this all the time EXCEPT I use the seam to create some beautiful detail with fabric from the from of the quilt and I sew those pieced in between the seams. The top is what we see, the batting is the padding in the middle, and the backing is the underside of the quilt, the one we get to see when we flip the quilt. You can also make a horizontal seam on the back. Sometimes I try to "use up" what I've got -- after all, isn't that what quilting is all about? Sew It Together. My crazy accuracy freak girl twin would have a fit! â¦and then in half again, and pin. Divide this number by 36″, add 1/8-1/4 yard for possible shrinkage and off grain issues, and purchase this much yardage for your backing and follow the rest of the tutorial below. Shop flannel, quilting cotton, and batik quilt backing. I have shied away from backing construction and have favoured wide backing material, but the selection isn’t too exciting, I know. Always double-check that you have enough extra backing on all four sides of your quilt top in preparation for quilting. She thought the backing fabric was large enough.I will keep this in mind. Choose a backing layout that best suits your quilt. The reason for this, is that a quilt gets most of its wear down the center and a seam there will wear faster. Now tear the selvedge from one side of one of the chunks—pick the printed selvedge side if there is one, so that you can keep track of the fabric print direction, especially if you’re working with a directional print and want both halves of the backing to be “right side up!” Just make a little snip into the fabric about ½-¾” in from the selvedge edge, and tear the whole selvedge off, like this: Press the fabrics, including all those torn edges, because they’ll all be a little ruffly and stretched at this point. That’s a sneaky peek of the show quilt I’m working on right now. You may want to baste the layers lightly together with basting spray, but for a quilt this small, I usually donât baste. Its still waiting for the perfect top to use it on! After Kathy’s great and precise tutorial at Pink Chalk Studio, this one probably seems a bit slap-dash, but hey, there’s always more than one way to go about it! So, unless itâs a baby quilt, you almost always have to piece a quilt back. Also included is a video tutorial on cutting those tricky templates AND a coloring ⦠Use our quilt backing fabric calculator to determine the perfect amount of fabric for backing your quilt. Maybe I'll try overdying it! I really like how the torn edges create a really flat seam allowance. Labels: how to, long arm quilting, longarm quilting, quilt, quilt backing how to, tutorial. Example Quilt: Once borders are added, the finished quilt top dimension is 58â³ x 66â³ Take quilt top width + 8â³ = backing width 58â³ + 8â³ = 66â³ Take quilt top length + 8â³ = backing ⦠However, following a quarter of an inch was hard this way… So 1/2″ makes a lot more sense! Partly, that’s to keep the tutorial simple, but also because I rarely do anything else these days. Always ensure your quilt back is the same shape as your quilt top. Lay the backing fabric on your work surface, right side down, then center the batting on top of the backing and smooth away any wrinkles. Thanks so much. Center the quilt top on top of the batting with its right side up and smooth away wrinkles. I'm afraid I must also say that I have in the past purchased yards of fabric at a sale, thinking I could someday use it on the back of a quilt. So, I occasionally "use up" bits and pieces for the quilt backing, and unfortunately I'm not always happy with the result. I would purchase 5 1/2 yds or 4.8 m (186" divided by 36" for yard, or divided by 39" for meters. The seams used to piece quilt backing can run vertical or horizontal depending on the size and shape of your project. â¦then fold the next edge in halfâ¦. Your back should also be bigger than the quilt top which makes quilting much easier. Quilting probably started when someone wanted to use up the scraps left over from dressmaking. An example would be my halloween quilt, which has a lot of one type of halloween fabric on it (see the my Quilt Gallery), but also has a section made up of great seasonal fat quarters which may never have been used on a quilt top. 3- trim your backing fabric to 3/4â³ from the quilt top. Slap-dash but effective, and heck, sometimes ripping fabric is just fun! Yes, there’s only one seam down the middle on this particular backing. How to figure yardage for quilt backing: The back of your quilt should be about 3-4â larger all around than the top of the quilt. First, if you donât know, a quilt sandwich is nothing more than the pieced quilt top, the batting and the backing. After Kathyâs great and precise tutorial at Pink Chalk Studio, this one probably seems a bit slap-dash, but hey, thereâs always more than one way to go about it! This is okay as long as it is good quality fabric. Take the yardage from step 3, and cut a small snip in the selvedge at the halfway point, and then rip the length of yardage in half crosswise, so that you have two chunks that are 6-8″ longer than your quilt top. A busy backing hides less-than-perfect quilting stitches on the back of the quilt. If you’re making a very large quilt that will be folded a lot, some folks say not to put a seam down the middle because it’s a stress point when the quilt is folded. TUTORIAL - SQUARING A QUILT BACKING I am going to show you how I square my quilt backings. . Finished with "Quilt Backing"? If I had a set of those ginormous cutting mats in my studio, I might be a bit more precise and exacting when I cut my backings. The back of your quilt should be about 3-4” larger all around than the top of the quilt. oh, yes… Nadine are you also a swimwear designer? Valentina. If your quilt top is longer than the width of the backing fabric (which, normally would be 45â or 60â unless you get actual quilt backing fabric) you will have to sew a seam down the center (as shown in the picture). Sew the torn edges together with about a ½” seam. It is possible to purchase extra wide fabric made specially for the purpose of quilt backing, and it is great. Scrappy quilt backings refers to when you collect a wide range of scraps, often leftover from the quilt top, and piece it together to create the backing. Now, weâre going to cut the backing. This technique produces a double-sided quilt; if you want to use both sides, plan ahead what to use as backing for your blocks. A good idea is to use fabrics from the same collection. April 3, 2009 May 18, 2017 ~ Nadine. Sew your blocks, in any technique you want. I think it looks prettier if it appears that you put some effort into choosing a complimentary back. Saved by Margaret Morgan. If your quilt top is less than 36″ wide, divide this measurement by 36″ and purchase this much yardage for your backing. V. Heh, you caught me! It doesn’t matter if the quilt backing is perfectly square or rectangular, or has perfectly straight ends—you’re going to cut off all the edges later anyway when you trim up before binding. Common Quilt Backing Problems . RRRRIIIIPPPP! The batting, obviously, is the meat of the sandwich, while the fabric top and back are the bread. I can keep the torn edges lined up on that line on the bed of the machine this way, and more of the seam allowance is under the presser foot for easier sewing. Go to "Lesson 5 - Basting/Layering", Please, leave us your thoughts, stories and comments by clicking here, © Copyright 2007-2016 quilt-lovers-guide.com NO REPRODUCTION PERMITTED, Quilt of the Month | Quilting & Binding | Classes | Cruises | My Personal Experience |Quilting | Testimonials Quilting Retreats: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, © Copyright 2007-2016 quilt-lovers-guide.com. When you get to a corner, fold the corner up like soâ¦. Quilt Backing Tutorial. Start by flipping the the binding over to the front of the quilt. That way you can use the same thread in both the needle and bobbin. This is workshop #8 in a series of workshops where art quilt designer Janeen van Niekerk shows us how to make a simple quilt. Don’t worry about whether both ends match up when you’re done pinning. When shopping for quilt backing some people like to purchase inexpensive fabric, or plain muslin for the backing of their quilts. 4- fold the backing fabric 1/4â³ 5- fold the backing fabric again 1/4â³ 6- stitch along the edge to secure the binding Very pretty quilt. If the quilt is wider than the normal 45” fabric (it is also a good idea to measure the exact width of the fabric you are purchasing as widths vary from 40-45”), then you will need two lengths, i.e. Hi Valentina! It is harder to see the quilting on a busy fabric. Third, apply basting spray to the back of the batting and center it on the backing piece. I like to start about 18 inches from the bottom corner. Now, if for instance, your quilt is about 60” wide, then I would not make two narrow side panels, -- I feel it is already offset from center by having one full panel of 44” and adding about 20” on one side only. Layer the batting and the quilt top on the backing, with the sides of the quilt parallel to the selvedges of the backing, centering the quilt center on the backing seam line and centering the quilt from top to bottom on the backing. On a quilt that’s pretty small, but wider than typical fabric yardage (36″+) I usually just put a seam down the middle. Unless it is a fun and funky quilt like the halloween one, I think I'll stick to a co-ordinated backing! If your quilt top is more than 36″ wide, multiply the number from step 1 above by 2. | DreamWeaver’s Quilts Quilt Epiphany Blog, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. I hope you enjoyed this little âhow-toâ tutorial and will give it a go the next time you have a patterned backing that will benefit from being patterned matched. Let me know if this is helpful, or if you have questions! So if this is your first quilt, you may want to use a background fabric that matches your quilt top in valueâlightness or darknessâ or in busy-ness. I usually measure the length of the quilt ⦠Jul 17, 2016 - After Kathy's great and precise tutorial at Pink Chalk Studio, this one probably seems a bit slap-dash, but hey, there's always more than one way to go about it! 124 Responses to âQuick and Easy T-Shirt Quilt Tutorialâ Debra Frease December 29th, 2016 . Quilt As You Go Tutorial: The Easiest Way to Machine Quilt. Although muslin is an inexpensive option for a quilt back, keep in mind that it shows every quilting detail and does little to enhance the beauty of your finished quilt. About This Tutorial Watch Rob's easy-to-follow demonstration of how to baste a quilt top, batting, and backing together. (Flynn was a bridge-building engineer before he became a quilter, and you can tell it from his great tricks.) This is how I’ve pieced the backings on all my quilts for years, including the quilts for show. This pattern includes fabric requirements and instructions for king, queen/full, twin, throw and crib quilts! Your seam is not down the center so that is okay. Fold all the way down to the next edge. If it’s that far off of being straight, will the quilt hang straight in the end? See how I’ve moved the needle a bit to the left, so that the torn edges stick out to the right? Free Shipping on domestic orders $49+ and free returns. Lay the batting and the quilt top on the backing with the sides of the quilt top parallel to the selvedges of the backing and baste. So you have given me courage to try something more adventurous. Instead of cutting two separate pieces of fabric and sewing them together, you cut one long piece, fold it together and then sew right down one side. 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