Tuesday, February 23, 2016

February AHIQ Linkup and Designing a Quilt Back

The kaleidoscope quilt needs a back and I want to use fabric on hand. Making large blocks like the planes on the back of Propellers and Planes is fun but nothing seemed to work with this top.

Finally I pulled orange/peach fabrics. There were two one-yard pieces and a quarter-yard remnant. That fills up half of the 77-inch back. Then I sewed all the leftovers into long strips. Finally I cut the first set lengthwise about one-third of the way across. These sections go on either side of the strip set. (Hopefully I can get a full photo later. Sorry.)

Width of fabric yardage creates half; then leftover strip are sewn randomly to fill in.
Large WOF fabric cut lengthwise
and filled with leftover strips 
to form a quilt back.

It occurs to me that this is a simple recipe for a back.
  1. Create a large WOF unit from one-three large pieces.
  2. Cut this unit lengthwise and/or width wise.
  3. Fill along the cuts with leftover strips and/or blocks.
  4. The original unit forms the outer sides or outer corners depending on how many times you cut it.
Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz was removed because site was hacked.

16 comments:

audrey said...

I need to piece more of backs! Thanks for sharing your method.:)

Monica said...

This is a fun idea. I admit I have some resistance, though, to pieced backs. I don't ever want someone to say they like the back better, when I spent all my time on the front! But intentionally reversible, though, that's another story!

Mystic Quilter said...

I intend to be into planning another quilt using a variation of a Cultural Fusion design soon and your idea would make a great back.

Mary Marcotte said...

I've started piecing my backs now as a way of using up yardage that I don't especially care for. I like the way you've explained this and look forward to seeing the whole thing. I'm thinking I can use it for some of the backs that are less interesting. May as well have fun with those, too.

Ann said...

I've gotten pretty lazy using up the "tired" fabrics. And it occurred to me that I could get more excited about quilting them if I spent a bit more time on the back. I hope this method makes sense. It would be much easier with photos. Ah, well. The computer will arrive some day soon... I hope.

Ann said...

My biggest problem is always using up fabric I've gotten tired of. If I have to purchase fabric for a back I really prefer it be on sale. I can always use the excuse that no one looks at the back of a bed quilt but they do look at the back of lap and baby quilts.

Ann said...

I'm with you. That has always been my place to use up "tired" fabrics. I will work at getting better pictures. It's a pretty easy way to make them a bit more interesting.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

On the very first quilt I ever made, I had to piece the back because I didn't have any pieces big enough and I didn't want to spend the money to buy a backing. SO I basically put them together free form (straight lines). My family said that it was a two sided quilt because the back was just as pretty as the front.

In that one, the biggest piece was the center and I wrapped the other blocks around it medallion style, but now I usually put the piecing in the center, and then the bigger pieces on the outside so that I don't have to cut into the piecing when I trim the quilt.

Stephie said...

I look forward to seeing the full back Ann, it's a great idea. I really like pieced back but the more I do, the more I realise they're a bit of a pain when you're hand quilting!

Cathy said...

Love the backing recipe. I'm usually stuck figuring out what to use for backings because I usually only buy short lengths of fabric - usually less than 1 yard. I'm wondering how it will quilt up with all the seams on front and back.

Ann said...

It is an easy way to put similar colors on the back. And it looks a bit more polished than my normal clambered together backs.

Ann said...

We certainly think alike. Backs are for leftovers or fabric that's hung around too long. Like you, I don't want to spend money on it nor do I want to waste perfectly good yardage. I cut the original large section in two so the section with more seams isn't near the edge.

Ann said...

It would make a big difference for hand quilters. And when you have lots of seams like a kaleidoscope, it can make a lump. Our quilting choices drive an important reason for one type of back over another.

Ann said...

Yes, as you and Stephie noted, it makes a difference whether you're machine or hand quilting.

Teresa Duryea Wong said...

I use a smiliar method. Works really well... and its a great way to use your stash! Agree this works best for machine quilting.

Ann said...

Using the stash is a major reason. I dislike buying fabric solely for the back and then ending up with so much leftover.