QUILT BACKING IS A GREAT THING! You can avoid the look and hassle of pieced backings by using these wide width fabrics. The backing fabric I sell in my stores is either 90” (228 cm) or 114”(290 cm) in width.

A NOTE ABOUT METRIC CONVERSION: My stores are based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In Canada, fabric is sold by the metre. A metre is approximately 39 inches.

Now, how much should you buy for your quilt project?

First, enter the “Great Debate” about FABRIC CONTENT and pre-washing:

Many quilters prefer to use only 100 per cent cotton fabrics. Others, like myself, really don’t get that worked up about content.

I, for example, am more concerned about the concept or design and if that means the some or all of the fabrics are a cotton blend, so be it. Generally, though, there is some cotton content to give my project an “old world feel.”

So, this brings us to the debate about pre-washing. Again, some prefer to wash their fabrics before cutting; others prefer to wash the finished quilt top or completed project. To me, it’s a matter of fabric and the role that project is going to play after it’s completed.

If my quilt is to be out to day-to-day use - on my daughter’s bed, for example - I want the fabrics to be pre-shrunk before piecing. So, I wash the fabric after I buy it. (I find a laundry washing bag recommended for delicates a great thing for washing fat quarters!)

If, however, the project is not to be used daily - such as a quilted wall hanging - and the fabrics are all 100 per cent cotton, I neither pre-wash the fabric nor do I wash the finished quilt to or completed project.

So, here is where SHRINKAGE concerns come into play.

Since I have can have a mix of 100 per cent and cotton blends in my fabric mix, I always pre-wash, just in case they shrink at a different rate.

If you pre-wash quilt top fabric, pre-wash the quilt backing fabric. Cotton experiences most of its shrinkage in the first wash. Your finished project should not shrink much, if any further.

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE: There’s always one of these, isn’t there? If the fabric has a lot of red, purple, navy blue - any fabric which runs the risk of having the colour run - it gets pre-washed.

Now, back to the quilt backing decision. Don‘t skimp on the fabric. Sure, I’d like to sell you more fabric but I also want to save you the aggravation of finding yourself short in the middle of your quilt. And you can always find a use for leftover fabric that you add to your stash.

The following chart should prove helpful. It allows for shrinkage and ensures you will have enough fabric to complete your project.

QUILT BACKINGS 90"(228cm) WIDTH
Size of quilt: TWIN
Finished size (Imperial): 63 x 87 inches
Finished size (Metric): 160 x 221 centimetres
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 2 metres
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 4 half-metres

Size of quilt: DOUBLE
Finished size (Imperial): 78 x 87 inches
Finished size (Metric): 198 x 221 centimetres
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 2.5 metres
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 5 half-metres

Size of quilt: QUEEN
Finished size (Imperial): 84 x 92 inches
Finished size (Metric): 213 x 234 centimetres
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: not advisable to avoid piecing
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: not advisable to avoid piecing

Size of quilt: KING
Finished size (Imperial): 100 x 92 inches
Finished size (Metric): 254 x 234 centimetres
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: not advisable to avoid piecing
90" (228 cm) width quilt backing fabric: not advisable to avoid piecing

QUILT BACKINGS 114"(290 cm) WIDTH
Size of quilt: TWIN
Finished size (Imperial): 63 x 87 inches
Finished size (Metric): 160 x 221 centimetres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 2 metres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 4 half-metres

Size of quilt: DOUBLE
Finished size (Imperial): 78 x 87 inches
Finished size (Metric): 198 x 221 centimetres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 2.5 metres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 5 half-metres

Size of quilt: QUEEN
Finished size (Imperial): 84 x 92 inches
Finished size (Metric): 213 x 234 centimetres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 2.5 metres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 5 half-metres

Size of quilt: KING
Finished size (Imperial): 100 x 92 inches
Finished size (Metric): 254 x 234 centimetres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 3 metres
114" (290 cm) width quilt backing fabric: 6 half-metres

As for COST: Simply multiply the number of half-metres by the half-metre price shown on either the eBay Discount Store site or my store site. For example: 6 half-metres at a cost of $7.95 per half-metre equals $47.70 US, before any applicable tax or shipping & handling cost, to back a king-sized quilt.

A NOTE ABOUT MY USE OF U.S. PRICING: I price my items in U.S. dollars for several reasons:
1) My Yahoo store will only list U.S. prices and it is a horrendous chore to constantly be converting from one currency to another.

2) Listing on eBay in U.S. dollars widens my audience. More people look for items listed in U.S. dollars than any other currency.

3) The Canadian dollar is trading at its highest level in years. One U.S. dollar is roughly equivalent to 95 cents Cdn. There is very little difference these days, so the conversion process often makes little or no difference in the price of an item. IF YOU ARE A CANADIAN BUYER and feel the difference is significant, contact me and we can discuss options.

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