Strips of muslin or scraps can be basted to the sides to enlarge backing if needed. Longarming: How Much Backing Fabric Do You Really Need? Example – 60” x 80” quilt top needs a back and batting that is 68” x 88.”) Most longarmers ask for a backing that is 8-10" larger than the quilt top in each direction, which provides 4-5" of excess backing all the way around the quilt. Let's talk this through. Some time ago I received this top to quilt. When your quilt is being quilted, heavy duty clips grasp the excess backing and batting to hold the edges of the quilt taut. When you send a quilt to be longarm quilted, you don't have to baste the quilt. Now fold your edge strip in half to find center. I keep muslin strips in my stash just for this purpose. Display only your media. Eeek - stop! Now, go make more quilt tops so I can quilt them! At the end, your edge strips will definitely get trimmed away! When the quilt top is centered on the backing fabric, you will have a 3-inch allowance on all sides. It is also known as the quilt lining or quilt back. This means there was 1-1/2″ of extra fabric on each side. If you have a walking foot, use it when attaching your edge strips to the quilt back. This should be roughly 42″ square. Then the backing and quilt top are added, with the layers basted while suspended taut between roller bars. If there is no extra backing then there is no room to test tension. Your backing fabric should be 6 inches longer and wider than your finished queen quilt top. Some longarmers may not appreciate this solution as it requires them to be thoughtful about centering the quilt during the basting process. The backing should be 8" larger in each direction for longarm machine quilting. It would have cost her much less to simply provide a backing that was large enough to begin with. There are legitimate reasons why we need it. This ensures even stitch quality all the way to the edges of your quilt. Match the edge strip center to the quilt back center. Reply. I charge $5 per seam for this service, plus the cost of the muslin. A Quilt with a Lace Border, and Other Interesting Quilts. We're working with a large machine head that may be computerized and must be sure to have enough room for the pattern to  stitch out without hitting those clips. I hope this gives you some insight into the ‘why’ of the extra backing request. So, for a top that is 60″ x 80″ the backing should be at minimum 68″ x 88″ (60″ + 4″ + 4″ = 68″ and 80″ + 4″ + 4″ = 88″) and ideally 72″ x 92″. Backstitch at the end to secure stitch line. How much larger should my backing and batting be than the quilt top? How Small Can You Make a Log Cabin Block? The cream fabric is the backing, and it was about 3″ wider than the quilt top. Then, return to center and sew from the center out in the opposite direction. Size: you want your batting to be slightly larger than your quilt top (front) and slightly smaller than your quilt back. I'm wondering now if that is too short and it will bunch up too much when I do the "quilting" process. Great information. To do that, I sewed a 5″ strip of muslin to all four sides of the back. DOUBLE 78” x 87” 5 1/4 yds. It is much easier especially with a queen size quilt top. To avoid this, you can buy extra-wide backing fabric in 60in, 90 inch, 108in and 116in widths, but it’s worth noting that the colour and print choices for these are usually more limited. I recently quilted a top for someone and the backing they provided was barely 1/2″ larger on all four sides. That gives you plenty of area at the bottom for the backing fabric to roll around the take-up roller. Also, I want to bind the quilt in a different material than the backing. Now let’s talk backs. , Well said, and illustrated, Beth! Trim excess and press. This is why it’s so important to provide the extra fabric when having your quilt longarmed. Piecing a long seam in this manner helps it attach nicely. I always enjoy reading posts that broaden my understanding of how things work. *BACK SIZE QUEEN or larger: Cut your backing and batting at least 4” wider and longer than your quilt top on EACH SIDE. Put Together the Quilt Top, Batting and Quilt Backing into a … There is about 4" of excess backing/batting to the left of the red basting stitch line. Another reason the extra fabric is needed is so that the tension can be tested before your quilt is quilted. (Same thing for avoiding wavy border syndrome!). Your backing should be at least 10″ larger than your quilt top (5″ per side) if you are planning on giving it to a longarm quilter to finish. So if your quilt top measures 50″ x 50″, your backing must be at least 58″ x 58″. Backstitch when you join strips so that these seams won't pull open when the quilt is suspended for longarm quilting. Finishing that quilt is going to be soooo rewarding. The backing is visible on the top roller bar. 1 Thing Your Batting Determines About Quilt Top Backing and … A machine quilter will require a minimum of … See how far that base extends on each side of the machine’s needle? Quilt Size Dimensions Backing 2 1/2” Binding Assembly Diagram TWIN 63” x 87” 5 1/4 yds. I wanted to share this information with you so you can understand why your longarm quilter asks for extra fabric. For this project you will need 1 ¼ yards of fabric for the back. This allowance gives you room to properly align your quilt top, batting and backing. To keep the edges neat I wrap the excess backing fabric around to the front and safety pin it in place to protect the edges. Example, your quilt top measures 60" x 80" therefore your backing and batting should each measure 66" x 86". It gives you something to hold onto! If you haven't prewashed your fabric you may want to do a bleed test. Fold the quilt back in half to find center along one raw edge. This Baptist fan extends a good 2" beyond the edge of the quilt top, for example. Quilt Size and Backing Yardage Chart Backing Fabric should be 3” all around larger than quilt top. This four-way tension ensures that puckers and tucks won’t be quilted into the back. If you've looked into longarm quilting services, you'll notice that backings must be bigger than you usually make them. I’ve done quilt backing that way. Here at Stitched in Color Quilting Services, we're happy to help you use the backing you intended if at all possible. So, buy a new backing? See more ideas about backing a quilt, quilting techniques, quilting crafts. In your humble opinions, which I always respectfully condsider...How much bigger should your backing be than the quilted top before putting it together. It is a scrap quilt with many small squares being used as a quilt back. Now tension needs to be added to the sides as well. The issue I’m talking about is backing that is not the appropriate size. If you're not sure, check with your longarmer first. (red lines) Next, trim the excess batting and backing from around your Quilt. By now I’ve quilted quite a few tops and have a few tricks up my sleeve to be able to handle most of the issues that come my way. by Beth | Jun 3, 2020 | Tips & Tutorials | 5 comments. As soon as you see the size, you should tell them either make the backing bigger, or pay so much more. A human needs about 2" to hold onto when quilting at the edges of a quilt. So now I have to have clearance on the sides for the ruler base that fits on my machine. Here are some ideas to help you push on to make that quilt backing. 3" gives you a little extra width to work with. But there is one issue that I find myself faced with quite often that takes me a fair amount of time to correct. What You Need To Know About Quilt Backing – Sew Quilt Ability I don’t quilt for money, just comfort quilts and my own. When I tell my guild I have to have that much extra fabric to longarm, they say no thanks and find someone else. And then the quilt you spent hours creating, wanting the recipient to enjoy it for decades- perhaps it’s meant to be an heirloom quilt- will not live the life you had intended it to. Let me show you. Should I piece it at the sides and make it larger, if so how A quilt backing is the bottom layer of a quilt. Attach the edge stitch with a normal 1/4" seam, sewing from the center out. Add 2" to each side of the quilt back to bring it up to size! I read on an Instagram account once, “I’m a longarm quilter, and my love language is a lot of extra backing”!!!”. Trim down the quilt top? Be sure to add fabric on all four sides of the quilt so that the real quilt backing remains centered. For example, you have a 90" square quilt and a 94" square backing. You don't want to add fabric in a way that will look awkward. The extra backing is needed because of the loading process, for the quilter to perform thread tension testing, and also to insure the machine doesn’t bump into the side clamps that are supporting your quilt. That means if your quilt top is 60" x 70" then the backing is 68" x 78". Your backing was all ready to go for home quilting. This will help these extra-long seams feed evenly. How to Piece a Quilt Backing to Finish Your Quilt | Craftsy Place a pin to mark center. Trim excess edge strip fabric. Cut strips 3" wide. Layering and Basting the Quilt Sandwich You're also happy to have that extra 2" all the way around when you're quilting at the edges of the quilt. Now you can see how the clamps attach to the back, and how the quilt top butts up against the clamp. Attach remaining edge strips, again sewing each long seam from the center out. If your backing needs to grow by just 4" in each direction, you can enlarge your backing with scrap yardage. As a longarm quilter for hire I sometimes have to work through quilting challenges, such as tops that aren’t square or borders that are too big. If your not using or sending it to a longarmer & your quilt top is nice & squared, I don't think you need more than an inch or 2 extra for the backing. When a customer asks me what size backing they need, I always ask for the back to be 4-6″ inches larger than the top on all sides. - … I have an top 81" wide and I cut my material last night 84" for the backing. This backing did not need an equal amount added on each side. In short, the literal obstacles required for longarm quilting (roller bars, clips, machine head) require a larger backing. Sorry. Why so big, you ask? (8” total. He or she will start by attaching the backing to the longarm rollers. Trim off the selvage of all backing fabrics. Cut your quilt backing 2 inches larger on each side. Cannot get other user media. Pin pieces right sides together at center. Your backing and batting should be at least 3" larger on each side than your quilt top. This is often the last layer of the quilt sandwich that a quilter makes. When I’m trying to use a ruler, if that base hits the side clamps then it messes up the ruler work. No matter what, your backing MUST BE 4-6″ larger than your quilt top, on ALL sides. Letha Gunter says: November 18, 2017 at 4:29 pm I have always done it this way…saves so much time…I can even make the repeats match by shifting it to match. Bigger is OK but it should not be smaller. We ask for 8" larger, which is outlined at Quilting Services Process. Most longarmers ask for a backing that is 8-10" larger than the quilt top in each direction, which provides 4-5" of excess backing all the way around the quilt. In other words the backing should be the biggest. I did a similar post with my machine, it helps to get the word out why we need that extra backing. What to do? The fix I use most often is to pin fabric to the sides of the backing and then clamp onto those fabric pieces. Cut your cotton batting the same. This costs the customer extra money because they are paying for my time. This provides a nice flat surface with even tension on which to quilt. Backing Yardage Charts - Qltville.docx 12/12/2013 5:00 PM Pg 1 of 5 Backing Yardage Charts! It must be 98" to be longarm quilted. This is my first time making a quilt. *IMPORTANT*: If the quilt WIDTH is over 72" WIDE you must use the Backing for Large Quilts Chart at the The chore of creating a quilt backing fabric is often not nearly as enticing as starting a new project. You don't want to add fabric in a way that will look awkward. If I had used a cotton batting, this would also keep the fibers from shedding the sandwich is moved back and forth under the needle. A quilt back should be larger than the top by several inches. I think you should charge even more for the too small backing. I can understand this for machine quilting, but I don't understand how this is important for hand quilting, especially if you are you just going to cut it off later. As a rule, your backing fabric should be at least 2in larger than the size of your quilt top all the way around. Poor quilt! Then, press seams. Why do I need my backing and batting larger than quilt top? Custom quilting usually involves some or mostly ruler work. p.s. Piece them together until they are longer than necessary for all four quilt edges. For Quilts wider than 40" but narrower than 72" wide Note: Take the LENGTH of your quilt and double it + 18 inches . - … You specify the width of the fabric on the bolt along with the quilt's width and length. But wait! - CraftTribeOnline.com What Is The Best Width For Quilt Binding? API shut down by Instagram. You prepared a backing for your quilt top, with plans to quilt it at home. This is a real problem to try to quilt, because to get the machine needle to the edge of the quilt top, the machine casing will bump against that clamp. At the bottom and top of the quilt, the sewing machine can't reach very close to the roller bars, so we must have excess backing to allow us to space the quilt away from those obstacles. They will be trimmed off after your top is quilted and you can reuse them for the next quilt. This is so helpful, Beth. Everything I have read says to cut the backing of my quilt at least 3" bigger all around. That testing is done using the extra backing fabric and the batting that is in your quilt to best mimic the actual quilt conditions. Side tension is achieved by adding clamps to each side. You can sew those strips to the top/bottom/sides of your backing fabric. And there are ways you can provide the correct size backing without spending a lot of money. We ask for 8" larger, which is outlined at Quilting Services Process. (black lines) We also stitch around the outside of the entire quilt, within the seam allowance, so that you won’t see it once it is bound. The point is, the quilt backing should be as pretty as the quilt itself, so ... After squaring up your backing, measure it again to make sure that it is a total of 6-8 inches larger than the top, if you are going to have it long arm quilted. First, why does longarm quilting require a bigger backing? That's the longarmer's job! The quilt backing needs to be larger than the quilt top to allow extra for fabric that is taken up during quilting and for stabilization when using a quilting frame. Many patterns have to be stitched off the edge of the quilt, onto the batting. Attach opposite edge strips in this manner. Your Quilt should look something like this. When we prepare a backing for home quilting, most of us make the backing about 4" wider than the quilt top in each direction. Hitting those clamps can cause all kinds of problems, from ripped tops, to broken needles, and worse! If you are doing the quilting yourself, you should be safe with 4″ extra per quilt side. How To Figure Yardage For Quilt Backing – Missouri Star Blog 3/4 yd. This calculator determines how much yardage from a bolt of fabric is needed to make a backing for a quilt. Quilt Backing Tips and Techniques - Learn How to back your quilts It's a pretty common scenario. They need the extra wiggle room. What you need is more edge-grabbing fabric - fabric that will be trimmed away when quilting is complete. But if my client has asked for custom quilting then it can still be an issue. That is the edge of the actual quilt top. The pieces I use are about 7″ square. Unfortunately this scenario is something that happens quite often in my studio. Because I use so many different thread brands and weights, both on top and in the bobbin, I am always testing and adjusting the tension. If your table runner is 16" x 39" you'd cut the backing 20" x 43". You can adjust your strip size as necessary, of course. When you turn the quilt around, this is the layer that you see. May 7, 2016 - Explore Alisa Ferguson Maskus's board "Backing A Quilt", followed by 328 people on Pinterest. Now you've decided to send it out for longarm quilting, but the backing is slightly too small. This size is okay when I’m free motion quilting, or using a computerized edge-to-edge design. I had to do some backing prep to even be able to load the back. A longarm machine needs about 4" to hold onto when quilting those edges! So, for a baby quilt the customer ended up paying me an extra $25 or so. When loading a quilt back onto a quilting frame, it is rolled onto two rollers – one at the top of the fabric and one at the bottom. Always add 8" to both the length and width measurements so you have an extra 4" of fabric all around. I pin the sandwich together with saefty pins & then turn over the backing extended edge to the front & pin until I … Ok, so you understand why your backing must be bigger, but what should you do? Thanks for sharing. Buy some inexpensive muslin, or use fabric in your stash that you aren’t in love with anymore and cut it into 5 or 6 inch strips and sew them together to make them the length and width of your backing. When I pick out fabric for a quilt top I usually wait to buy backing fabric. Remember - your quilt back should be 2-4” larger than the quilt top in all four directions. Thank you for sharing. Your backing was all ready to go for home quilting. Because it is such an easy fix by the customer I thought I would share with you what I’m talking about, and why it is important to provide your longarm quilter backing fabric that is a workable size. We are not doing it just to have you spend more money. You have stitched in the ditch between all of the blocks. Reply. Here's the thing - your backing IS large enough as far as the finished quilt is concerned. Its funny as you never really know which quilt will give you trouble. It is not something you should be fighting as your quilting time (and machine) are valuable. Yes, it's awesome. That gives us 2" of excess backing all the way around the quilt, providing helpful wiggle room when centering the quilt during basting. So how do I work with this? Notice the red basting stitch line. 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