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How Much Wide Backing Fabric Should I Buy?

Wide quilt backing fabrics vary in thread count, thickness, and of course width. This in turn affects the amount of shrinkage a fabric will have. Since all cotton fabrics will shrink when washed, make sure you account for this when deciding how much to buy. Some fabrics will shrink up to 6%. Using cold water and a cool (not hot) dryer, or hanging your backing to dry will help minimize shrinkage. For colored fabric, we suggest washing with Retayne following the instructions on the bottle. (This can be found on our website under the "Notions" category). This will fix the dye in commercially dyed fabrics and prevent color bleeding.

We recommend that you start by measuring your quilt top. If you are having your quilt longarm quilted, then make sure to check with your quilter to see how much extra backing she requires. Most require at least 4 inches extra. You will want to add 4 inches onto the measurements of each side of your quilt top. So your backing fabric should measure a total of 8 inches larger than your top.

Next you will want to add extra to allow for shrinkage. We recommend adding an extra 6% to your quilt backing length and width measurements.

Here is an example:

Quilt top measurements: 84" x 94"
Add 8" extra for quilting: 92" x 102"
Add 6" for shrinkage: 98" x 108"

Your backing should measure at least 98" x 108" in this example. Since we sell in quarter yard increments, this means that you should order 2+3/4 yards of whatever backing fabric you choose.

If you have any questions about how much you should buy, please contact us and we will be happy to help you! Happy Quilting!!