Backing fabric for your Quilt

Most LongArmers like to have the backing fabric 6 to 8 inches wider than your quilt top.  That gives them 3 to 4 inches on each side of your quilt.   And at least 10" longer than your quilt.  More is better than scrimping.  Quilting on a longarm machine actually takes up a bit more fabric on the back.  These extra inches will allow for any "shrinkage" during the quilting process.   I always told my clients to leave whatever length their backing ends up to be alone.  That way they would get one piece back rather then having them cut the backing down to 10" and then me trimming off the backing and giving them another small piece.

Whenever possible I like to use a solid piece for the backing fabric.  It usually comes in a width of 108".  Your Longarm Quilter will love it! 

When piecing your backing horizontal seams are the best.  And when I say horizontal, I mean I want the seams to run the same direction as my longarm rails.  Let's say it's going to take 3 lengths of backing fabric to make the backing of a Queen size quilt top.  Each piece would be cut around 95".  Most fabric is 42" with the selvages cut off.  That will give you a backing piece of 95" by 125" inches.

The diagram shows how to piece the fabric.  Remove the selvages from both sides of the center piece and the seam edges of the top and bottom piece.  Leave the selvages on the top  and the bottom of the other two pieces.  If you're quilting on your domestic machine, this will help the edges from fraying.  If you are giving it to a Longarm quilter, she'll appreciate the selvages when she is pinning the backing to her leaders.

To insure that you have enough backing fabric I use this technique.  I first fold my backing into quarters.  Then I fold my quilt into quarters and lay it on top of the backing.  Aligning the two folded edges.   As you can see the amount of backing hanging off the off the table is ample for the length of the backing.  Remember it's double that amount since the length is folded in half.   On the right side of the picture above and the one on the right, you can see there is ample backing fabric for the sides of the quilt.  Sorry this example is white on top of white.  Hope you can see it.  If you are viewing this from an email notification, you might want to go to the blog site.  The pictures are a bit more clear and larger.




I recently had the pleasure of hearing Dora Cary lecture.  She said she does her quilting on a domestic machine.  She NEVER pins or bastes her quilt sandwich.  Dora always uses 100% cotton batting that grips the fabric.  She smooths out the backing fabric, layers on the batting, hand pressing it against the backing.  Then she layers on the quilt top and again hand presses it smooth against the batting.  She had a quilt with her that was partially quilted.  We could see that the layers were smooth and "stuck" together.  I haven't tried this, but it sure would be a time saver.  She was a very interesting speaker.  I'd highly recommend her to any guild looking for a good speaker.  https://www.orangedotquilts.com/

Feel free to send questions along about any making backing fabric.  The method for checking to see if you have enough backing fabric is a fast and true method.  I've used it on wall hangings to CA King size quilts, it never fails.

Quilt Labels

How many times have you come across an antique quilt and wondered about the maker.  Who was she/he?  Why did they make this particular quilt?  Where did she/he live?  

Some day someone may be asking the same questions about your quilts.   So PLEASE put a label on the back of your quilt!   Not only for historical purposes, but for your family.  When did Mom make that quilt?   Was this Mom's quilt or Aunt Jane's?  Quilts that are given as gifts should have a label too. 

There are different ways to add a label.  As a longarm quilter, I found that most people add a label after the quilt has been quilt.  They'll sew it down in the corner using the binding to cover 2 of the four raw edges and turning under the other two edges.  If you are piecing the label into the back make sure you have it moved away from the edges of the backing.  You don't want to have it quilted and then find your label didn't make it all the way into the backing.   There were several quilts I quilted for clients that I had to load the quilt with the bottom of the quilt and backing at the top of my machine to make sure the label made it into the quilt!

Some people fold a square of fabric in half into a triangle, and again sew it into the corner binding, having only the folded edge to tack down.  Some have left this folded edge unsewn and tucked in washing instructions if the quilt is given as a gift.

An example of a label sewn into the backing  is one of my own quilts.  It was a simple Irish chain quilt that I had planned to use penguin fabric I loved.  It was a queen sized quilt that I was hand quilting.  I was afraid my husband wouldn't want penguins all over our bed quilt.  I ended up quilting the outline of penguins on the front and put my penguin fabric and block on the back.  It became the label.

You can print out labels too.  Either with pre-bought fabric attached to paper, or make your own using freezer paper.  I did this one to the left for a quilt I was entering in an exhibit.  (I've blacked out my phone number, and old address for this posting.)  I should redo the label for a more personal touch.

For the most part labels are hand written with indelible ink.  Writing on fabric can be difficult.  Iron a piece of freezer paper to the back of the fabric to stabilize it.  I can't write straight for the life of me.   Using a heavy Sharpie, I draw lines on the paper side of the freezer paper.  Once it's ironed onto the fabric, you can see the lines and write out a nice label.

Which brings us to What do you write on a label.   Of course your name and date.  I generally use the month and year I finished the quilt.  If it's for a birthday or wedding, use that date.  You can also add your city and state.  The title of the quilt if you've given it one.  A message to someone you're giving it to.  You may want to add how the quilt was pieced or quilted.  (By hand or machine). Type in Quilt labels on the internet and you'll find all sorts of poems or sayings for labels.  You can even find decorated labels you can print on fabric.

The label  below I printed for a miniature double wedding ring quilt I made for my great niece.  Since she is not a quilter, I gave her information about the quilt design.  Added her name for ownership of the quilt and the date of their wedding.  Then a message from us, and finally how the quilt was made and by whom.  I had made a similar one for her brother when he married.  They were small enough to put in shadow box frames.

You'll notice I generally use my maiden name as my middle name.  This is so that in the future, if one of my quilts is deemed an antique and someone is trying to track my history, they have my maiden name.

The Double Wedding Ring Quilts for my niece & nephew

Hope these have given you some ideas on how to create your own labels.  Now go get labels on your quilts!