Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Pieced backing FTW

 *Are you looking for the Orange Peel QAL Final Linky Party? Link up your quilts, tops, and minis here until Sept. 8!*

My August goal was simple on purpose: cobble together the backing for my Sister's Ten (2) quilt. I did this so I could give myself more time to continue/finish other projects. And in the last 5 days of the month, it's complete! It totally screams "fall" to me.


I took a feather from Jacquie Gering's book, sucked up the fabric hoarder part of me ("but what if I need it for a different project?" she whines), and used some of my current favorite fabrics for the backing. I do love a good pieced backing! I pieced together some of my favorite Anna Maria Horner and Moonlit prints. That top red print is Cameo by Amy Butler, and I planned it as part of the backing since I started the quilt a year and a half ago. Finally, that middle purple/white print is from the Downton Abbey collection. I just love its movement and how it balances out the backing's saturation.

I did use up all of the Cameo and the Downton Abbey but I still have more of the other prints (some just a fat quarter, but that's okay)... :).


In true Quilty Habit form, I left in a couple of selvages. Because why not? 


Have you seen the Cotton and Steel selvages? Hence the reason I bought some half yards... :). Sadly, there was barely 1/8th of an inch below the words, so I carefully sewed this seam to 1/8th of an inch. If you can't see the words, what's the point? Note to fabric companies - leave at least a quarter of an inch so those of us who love selvages can use them!

I usually drag my feet to make a pieced backing but I love having a double sided quilt in the end. Bonus points: I spray basted the whole thing already, too. Boom. Time to quilt!




7 comments:

  1. Not that I'm suggesting you unpick it, but you could have appliqued the selvages onto the other fabrics, so all the words would be visible. Does that make sense? I might need more coffee.... But the back is adorable! I just used that Downton Abbey print too! :D

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  2. Oooh hooray! You'll love seeing all those fabrics and selvages on your quilt! And yay for the quilting part!

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  3. 8th of September is coming fast ! Hopefully, in Canada, next Monday is a day off. And it supposed to be rainy all week-end long. Yeah, can't go to the park with the kids. More sewing. The top will be completed, not the quilting. I'm looking forward to what other people will be able to complete by then.

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  4. It looks great. I always hate to piece those backings too, but it is so nice when it is finished.

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  5. I'm not a selvedge collector so I wish selvedges were smaller so I can get more fabric! I hate having to lose an inch or so because there's a huge white strip along the edge (some are are humungous!!). I really hate piecing backings though. Even if I do a simple "join two halves of fabric together" it's still too much piecing!!

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  6. How do you get a half inch seam in your backing fabric and still expose the selvedge edge? I have found that when the selvedge is in a backing (usually a long seam, not a short one) it creates a tight area of the backing resulting in floppy areas that are prone to creating tucks and my needle deflects off tightly woven selvedge, creating a lousy-looking stitch. How do you make it work?

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  7. Great back! I love using up the leftovers but, just like you, it's hard to add the "good stuff." It certainly improves the back, doesn't it?

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