That would be how bad I SUCK at this whole quilting thing! You would not believe how horrible the back of Jordyn's quilt turned out! I mean, it would've been GORGEOUS, had it of been the RIGHT SIZE! There was no way I could put what I had on the back of her quilt!
I had 4 panels, and a border around each. My measurements/calculations WERE WAAAAAAAY OFF!!!!
I'd say it was at least 6-7 in. too big which would've been okay, had it not had the borders! Ugh! I was going to post pics of the whole process, BUT, I'm waaaaay too ashamed! So, I will show you what I came up with as a solution!
This is what I started with! (before sewing it all together)
This.....is a preview of what I had to do!
NO BORDERS AT ALL!!!!!!!!!! :( ugh! I don't even know what I did wrong! It is sooooo frustrating! I was ready to just call the whole quilting thing quits!
Buuuuuut, I like it too much! I just hope and pray that my next one DOES NOT END UP LIKE THIS! But I will know for future reference....I CAN NOT DO PANELS FOR A BACKING! IT DOES NOT WORK FOR ME! So, I'm going to have to try and figure something else out.
Anyone have any ideas/ suggestions/ tips on backing and how to calculate how much you need?
If you do I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE it!
I know someone will help me out, after all the great tips I got from my binding question.
Sorry that you all are dragged into this "learning on "my own"" thing! LOL You all are such great help and inspiration and motivation!
Hopefully I will get this baby basted within the next few days and start on the binding ASAP!!!
Hope you guys are having a great day!!!!
~Kelie~
8 comments:
I've made 5 quilts now, with a 6th soon to be finished. In terms of backing, I have never tried to be adventurous. I know that normal width fabric is generally 40-42" wide, and if I sew 2 pieces together, it makes it 79-83" wide. That's what I do for twin size quilts - just seam 2 pieces together (use a 1/2" seam when piecing backing to give it extra strength). I bought 4 yards, chopped it in half to make two 2 yard cuts, and seamed those together on the vertical (selvedge) edge - that gave me a backing that was 72 x 80. I always leave extra batting and backing around each side so that if the quilt shifts during quilting, I'm still okay. I trim it to size afterward. You will get better & more confident with every quilt you make :)
I purposely do not make backings that are centered on the quilt. It is a very tedious process to get two pieces lined up when you can see both and their edges don't match.
Look at these two
http://madewithlovebymary.blogspot.com/2012/04/finish-it-up-friday-april-20.html
http://madewithlovebymary.blogspot.com/2012/02/think-spring-for-finish-it-up-friday.html
Neither of my pieced backings is centered. You know what? It looks fine.
If you want something framed, I would be happy to help you figure out the dimensions but again, getting it all lined up is difficult.
Keep trying. None of us get it perfect from the get go.
Wanted to add, your quilt is beautiful and your daughter will love it because it is hers. The perfection of the backing won't matter. Call it a design element and move on.
Don't give up! We've all been there and have all made our own mistakes. You end up learning from them and moving on. Backings are weird. Some people center them, some don't. I've pieced some from many fabrics and other times used one piece. What I'm trying to say is that anything goes. No one is going to look at the back and criticize it. If it covers the front, it's working! Just my opinion, I guess! Don't be so hard on yourself. I use a fabric calculator to figure out how much fabric I need. It's a free app for my phone. It's by Robert Kaufman and it's called Quilt Calc. You may be able to find it online also. Hope I've helped. Your quilt is so pretty! You did great!
Ooops, I am not a quilter, but my niece is. I'll ask her to read this blog and give me some suggestions to give you. or you could go to my sister's blog (www.merrydotdandy.com) and ask her directly to ask her daughter. I love the front on the quilt. I looks very similar to a quilt my niece did. Ya, really. ~ Renae
Don't get discouraged! I piece my backings and never try to make a centered backing since you'd have to fold the backing in 4, the front in 4, put a pin in the middle all through the 3 layers and match it up, it's a pain in the butt! I can give you one advice, when you piece your backs, press the seam allowances open because when you quilt through all the layers and you have a seam allowance on the front AND the back at the same place your thread will likely break. My opinion is leave the quilt back the way it is, I can bet you that your daughter will not complain about the off-centered quilt! She'll love it the way it is because Mommy made it! :)
I just noticed that we were commenting on a giveaway at the same time ;) so I had to stop by and say hi! I'm not sure I understand the backing problem. I usually use left over fabric from the front and piece it all together (I buy extra usually) and just make it bigger by about 6-8 inches each way (than the quilt top). So, it hangs over while I quilt it, then square it up when I am done so that the back and front are the same size. Maybe I just don't understand what you were trying to do :) Hope I am being helpful!
Hi Kelie, I usually buy extra yardage and pieced them like how Michelle explains it. I've also done a few pieced backings using leftovers from the front and piecing them till it's slightly bigger about 4 inches on all sides ( more if you're planning for heavy quilting ) than the top. Another option I've used is extra width backing fabric. Don't be discouraged, you've done a great job so far and I'm sure your daughter will absolutely love the quilt made specially for her.
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