Matching Prints for Quilt Backs
Adding the finishing touches to my quilts make me so happy! One of them is matching prints for my quilt back. I feel like I am doing right by all the work put into the quilt top. The challenge is usually when arriving at this point, I’m eager to get quilting. In this post I will walk you through the method of matching prints for the best results and then show you a quicker method that saves time and achieves almost perfect results. Keep in mind these methods only apply for the larger sized quilts when the backing needs to be pieced together, usually throw size or bigger.
For this blog I will be diving into what has worked best for me on matching prints, post was inspired by Suzy Quilts.
Supplies Needed:
Backing fabric - two pieces
Starch - Best Press or your favorite go to
Small Iron
Small Ironing Mat - wool mat or your favorite go to
Elmer’s Washable Glue (or stick)
Rotary Cutter
Quilting Ruler
Sewing Machine
How-To: Match the Prints
Time Spent: 45 minutes
Pre-requisite: Ensure all fabric has been pressed, use some starch to get the tough creases out.
1. Lay the two pieces side by side with one slightly over the other. The fabric on the top, we will call Fabric A, fold in about 1 ½”, spray starch and press.
In this example, I am using my Artwork Quilt Throw size backing. It called for 4 ½ yards, but I order 5 yards to ensure I have room for the repeated pattern. Also keep in mind if I was sending it to a longarmer I would add another 4-5 inches on each side.
2. Place Fabric A on top of Fabric B where the pattern starts to repeat.
Fabric A and B are labeled in the photo
3. Plug in the iron and slide the ironing mat under the fold.
I like my wool mat as it really helps heat up both sides of the fabric.
Tip!
Here is a layout of my table so you can see what works best for me. Fabric A is on the left (with the fold in the center), Fabric B is on the right. The star is representing where I stand. The wool mat is in the center under where both fabrics overlap, represented by the purple arrow. Lastly, the glue stick and iron are close by.
Note: you can also try to do this on your ironing table, I had a bigger headache with this due to the fabric sliding off.
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4. Flip the corner of Fabric A over and apply the glue on the folded area.
5. Place Fabric A on Fabric B to align the pattern and press.
I turn the heat up without using steam, this will melt the glue to hold these fabric together.
6. Repeat step 5 along the remaining fabric.
I constantly move my iron mat down the table as I go as well as adjusting the fabric until complete.
7. Time to sew! Decrease your stitch length to about 1.9, open the fabrics and sew on the crease.
Pro tip: Look ahead on the creased line while sewing, not at the needle. This will help keep your stitch fairly straight.
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8. Align the ruler with your stitch leaving about ½” - 1”seam allowance. Use the rotary cutter and trim along the entire seam.
It’s important to trim off the selvage, it’s made with a different tension than the rest of the fabric. If the selvage becomes part of the back, the tightness can distort the quilting after it’s washed.
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9. Open seams and press.
You might have to pull a little due to the glue still doing it’s magic.
10. Tada! Now you have what looks like one piece of fabric.
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Love the idea but not the time?
I recently tried what I call the “close enough” is good enough approach. Start with step 1 above then place Fabric A (with the fold) on top of Fabric B to match the pattern. Next, pinned every few inches under the fold until the end. Finish by following steps 7 - 10 above. This took me about 20 mins and I was really happy with the outcome.
Note: the smaller the prints the more difficult it will be to get an exact match
Final look for the “close enough” approach
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Hello! I’m Katie the maker behind Zahm Co. Thank you for being here, I hope you find this blog helpful.
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