best fabric for quilt back?

For me:
First I think about how the quilt will be used. Will it get a lot of lovin/abuse? I will use a strong backing like minkee or fleece.

If it's a nice size bed quilt, wide backing fabric. Since I'm not the best quilter, I like a busy print to hide my stitches.

I also like to use flannel - but I wash it first to get it to shrink as much as possible. Do you know - some stores sell wide backs in flannel!

I don't like plain fabric for the back since I like to hide my stitches. If you are a talented quilter a plain fabric will showcase your stitches.

108" Roc-Lon cotton or I'll piece my backs in 3 sections (when I do big ones)... I also have 90" fabric which is great for the twin size or smaller, but I love 100% cotton! It's more hot here than cold, so this will depend on where you live, who's going to use it (child heavy usage, adults not so much)...

Good luck, can't wait to see how you finish your's up

:-Debbie

I usually select one of the fabrics in the quilt top and use it as a backing. Since it's usually 45" wide, I run the seams horizontally (side to side). I've also used some of the solid color, wide fabric from a local quilt shop, but prefer the front and back to match. Most of my quilts are queen-sized and quilted on a longarm. I never make scrappy quilts and seldom use pre-cuts as I prefer a more traditional look or blocks with tons of machine embroidery.

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I also like to use flannel - but I wash it first to get it to shrink as much as possible.

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Would you pre-wash your flannel even if you haven't pre-washed your quilt top?

I have a vintage quilt done with muslin and it has held up real nice and has gotten nice and soft over time. I usually use flannel sheets for my backing esp. on lap quilts. I get them at the second hand stores for a great price.

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Originally Posted by ajflenar

Would you pre-wash your flannel even if you haven't pre-washed your quilt top?

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If the top is flannel and has not been prewashed, then I would not prewash the flannel backing. If the top is regular cotton I would prewash the flannel backing regardless if the top has been prewashed. Flannel shrinks a lot more than regular cotton. I say regular cotton because flannel is also cotton.