Thanks everyone for the great ideas. I finished the quilt I was working on using Ricky's wavy seam meathod. I had all but a 1/2 yard of Irus in a field fabric so I put a wavy seamed 1/2 yard section of green wavy grass in the middle. My daughter loves it.

I did two Flag of England quilt (not the Union Jack but the Red Cross). I did the flag on both sides and matched the seams and hand quilted them. I cursed myself after the first one but agreed to do the second one. One is now in England and one here in TN. Bottom line - I do not recommend having to match front and back seams!!!

That's a great recommendation, Florence! I have not tried that before, but will take that approach on the next quilt back that I make. The long-arm quilter that I took the last quilt to is probably still cursing me for having to center the difficult quilt back. Mary Kay

If you're going to piece your back, particularly if your quilting is going to be anything with a distinct center, it's easier to either have a big chunk of fabric in the center, or make it intentionally scrappy, albeit BIG pieces. Just the thought of trying to match up a front center with a back center unnerves me! Even having matching borders is a challenge. How do I know? I used some Jane Sassaman fabrics to back my most recent quilt, pieced somewhat like a 9-patch variation, with a wide mitered binding. because it had a large center square I didn't truly have to match centers, but trying to get those borders close to even was killer!

If it's going to look wonky, plan it that way!
Ann's convergence recommendation would be great too. I love when the backing makes a second quilt.
Florence

sanann wrote:
Can't say that I have an exact answer, but I might buy 6 or 7 yds of something on sale. And when I finish the quilt top if I find what I bought is not quite enough to make the complete quilt back then I add a complimentary border to the backing to make it big enough. One of my first quilting mentors (a wonderful women that I worked with in Houston) used to tell me that being short on a specific fabrics is just a GREAT opportunity to use more creativity in the development of the quilt. I have always looked at fabric shortage or a mistake in the piecing or quilting as an opportunity for creativity! Hope that helps! Mary Kay

Hi, I've seen some really nice fabrics I thought would make a nice backing fabric for a future quilt, but, how do you know how much to buy if you havn't picked pattern, size etc. I'm always afraid I would buy too little and then wouldn't be able to find more later. Is there some general amount that would be good to know? I wouldn't mind buying too much if it was on sale, cause I can make pillow shams! hehe Thanks, any advice appreciated. Sandi in FL

I am always cruising the sale farbics (before I even make a quilt) to look for fabrics that are at a big discount that may make a good back in the future. I have come across some great stuff that I have tucked away waiting for it's future top mate. Mary Kay

Hand quilting I avoid as many seams as possible on the back. Even it I only have one seam in the back I sew through that seam way more than I should.

I am trying to use up what's left of my top fabrics if possible, plus it gives me another way to challenge myself with design. Whatever is left, ...... I try to use it, and then finish filling the space with something that does some kind of coordination.

I don't know about other Longarm quilters, but I like busy backings. The busier the better-doesn't show the starts and stops like plain fabric does.
As for pieced backs, I don't like too many pieces. The backing seams can often be behind a thick area on the top-eg, when many seams come together in the center of a star. I've had needles break because the back had too many seams in bad places.
JMHO,
eileenkny

You could add a strip of the new fabric across the center of the backing with 1 1/2 yards of the quilt fabric on each side of the strip. This could go either vertically or horizontally. I usually cut up unused fabric from the quilt top into 12 inch squares, sew them randomly together for a backing for my grandkids' quilts. It's a good way to use up fabric you probably won't use any other way.

http://www.flynnquilt.com/freepattern.html

Check out John Flynn's diagonal seam for backing fabric. It might work for your.

These are all such great ideas, I am going to try many of them. One more question, I have three yards of fabric which leaves me needing about 1/2 yard more for the backing. The fabric was chosen by the person who will receive the quilt. I really want to use all the main fabric, how can I add in another 1/2 yard without making it look choppy?

Ricky invented convergences when he was trying to make the back for his Flying Colors quilt. (you can see the front on his website under Ricky's quilts, 1996 to present). So making a large scale convergence would be a quick and gorgeous way to back a quilt.

Another thought, I just made a baby quilt that I hope will be well used and pieced together red white and blue five inch charm squares. It has a scrappy look, was quick and easy because I just sewed them in rows until it was as large as the front, and perfect because the baby's daddy is a huge red white and blue fan. Daddy loved it and hopefully little Wyatt will too.

Ann (now a great great aunt that makes me sound so old lol except nephew told me I always was a "great" aunt and now I am just twice as great)