Welcome back!
Remember how I opened the last post with the unbelievable news that I had won the raffle quilt offered at the Village Quilters of Lake Bluff Quilt Show? Well, I promised that I’d be hanging that quilt for all to see in The Quilting Connection shops. Sooooo …
If you have a chance to visit our Appleton shop in the near future, please stop in and see Falling Star in person. It’s so gorgeous!
Otherwise, fall is slipping into winter. Clocks were set back, and we’re losing sunlight so early now! Time to get in a little extra quilting time before holiday deadlines start looming.
One of the trends I’ve noticed in longarm quilting is the increased use of wide back fabrics for quilt backs. When it comes to longarm quilting, wide backs can offer some definite advantages but, just like anything else, they can present some challenges too.
So, I thought today we’d take a deeper look at wide back fabrics. Let’s see what’s available, the overall pros and cons, and then I’ll share a few thoughts on specific types of wide back fabric and how they factor into your longarm quilting.
What is Wide Back Fabric?
Okay, yes, the name pretty much tells us what it is. It’s fabric that is made wider than standard 42”-44” fabric and, because of that, it’s often used to back quilts. But let’s get into the specifics.
The width of wide back fabric can vary. Typically, wide backs range from 90” to 118” wide. The most common width is 108.”
Fabric types produced as wide backs include standard 100% cotton, flannel, batiks and muslin.
Another favorite for quilt backs is minky/cuddle fabric. A standard cut of minky is usually 58”-60” and an extra wide cut is generally 90.” Due to minky’s growing popularity, you can now find a limited selection of 110” wide backs.
Why Quilters Love Wide Backs!
No piecing required for your quilt back! This is definitely the biggest plus! No seams to match, press, or keep straight. No selvages to trim off along the seams. Wide back fabric saves time and effort when it comes to preparing your quilt back, especially when dealing with large queen and king-sized projects.
Smoother, more professional results. One continuous piece of fabric gives you a smoother surface for your quilting. No seams help prevent uneven drag on the backing. That means less chance of tension issues or uneven stitching. And your finished quilt will have a smooth, consistent drape.
Fewer alignment issues. A wide back is easier to load and keep square. You’re not dealing with vertical seams that can create uneven bulk or horizontal seams that need to be kept straight across your quilt frame’s roller bar. As a result, there’s less risk of your back shifting during quilting.
Wide selection of colors and prints. With the ever-growing popularity of wide back fabrics, you have more to choose from. Solids, tone-on-tones, and prints are all available. Several designers now include wide back coordinates that complement the standard width fabrics in their lines.
More economical. While wide back fabric costs more per yard, you may find that you need less yardage, saving you money.
For example, say I’m backing a 70” by 90” twin quilt. Adding 5” to each side for longarming, my back will measure 80” by 100.”
If I buy standard-width fabric and run the seam vertically down the middle, I need approximately 5 2/3 yards of fabric. If it costs $12.99 per yard, I’ll spend around $73.
However, if I buy a 108” wide back, I only need approximately 2 1/3 yards of fabric. If it costs $21.99 per yard, I’ll only spend around $51. That’s a savings of over $20!
So, wide back fabrics have a lot of advantages! But they may not always be your best option.
Why Wide Backs May Not Be Your Best Choice
Limited selection. While many quilt shops carry a growing number of wide back fabrics, you’ll still find a much greater selection of standard-width fabrics. If you want your backing fabric to match the fabric of your quilt top, you may have to compromise.
More fabric waste for smaller quilts. If you’re backing a lap or baby-sized quilt, you may find buying wide back fabric more expensive and less efficient, potentially leaving you with lots of extra fabric.
Bulk and handling. A large wide back cut can be heavy and cumbersome to handle and press.
Directional or large-scale prints can be tricky. Because the fabric is so much wider, printed motifs may not run perfectly straight across the width of fabric. Buying quality fabric will help, but be attentive to the fabric design, color and consistency as it comes off the bolt.
Also be aware of print directionality. Make sure it matches the direction you’re planning to load your quilt top.
And finally, make sure when you load your wide back on the longarm frame that the print stays aligned and square with your quilt top.
That covers wide back fabrics in general. Let’s take a few minutes to look at some of the considerations specific to the type of fabric you’ve chosen for your quilt back.
Types of Wide Back Fabrics – And What to Know About Them!
Quilters’ 100% Cotton
This is the classic, most widely used wide back fabric for longarm quilting. Cotton has several advantages.
- It’s a stable fabric … it doesn’t stretch or shift on the longarm frame … and it’s easy to load.
- A cotton back will complement a quilt top made of standard quilting cotton. Since the fabrics share the same characteristics, tension and stitch quality shouldn’t be an issue.
- Being the most widely available wide back option, you’ll find the greatest variety of colors and the largest range of solids, tone-on-tones, prints.
- Because several designers are adding wide back options to their fabric lines, cotton will also give you the greatest opportunity to find coordinating fabric for your quilt back.
- Finally, cotton gives you predictable results. It will wash, shrink and wear similarly to your cotton quilt top.
Cotton wide backs are a great all-purpose option! It’s the go-to choice for safe and expected results.
Flannel
If you want a warm and soft cotton option, flannel is the way to go. It adds comfort and weight to your finished quilt.
- Flannel’s cozy feel makes it perfect for winter or cuddle quilts. (Take it from a Wisconsinite!)
- The nap of flannel fabric “grips” your batting while quilting, reducing shifting or slippage.
- Flannel quilts drape beautifully, and the texture of your quilting will have a subtle, luxurious look!
- Be warned, flannel produces more lint. Be sure to clean your bobbin case and needle area often!
- Flannel backing works well with either standard cotton or flannel quilt tops. However, flannel does shrink more than cotton so be extra cautious when using a flannel back with a cotton quilt top. Consider prewashing your flannel wide back in this case.
Want to boost the cuddle factor of your quilt? Use cotton or poly batting to complement your flannel backing!
We can't talk about wide backs without talking about my podcast sister Cathy Thayer at Fabric Bash! She carries over 500 options for wide backs in store and on her website!
Click here to check out her selection!
Batik
Got to love batik fabrics! Their tight weave, saturated colors and crisp feel are truly distinctive!
- Because the weave of batik is so tight, the smooth quilting surface results in a stitch definition that is crisp and distinct.
- The tight weave also results in a very stable grain. Stretching or distortion on the frame is minimal!
- There is a downside to batik’s tight weave – it can prove challenging to your longarm’s tension.
- It may also be problematic if you need to pick out any of your stitching as batik can be less forgiving of the remaining needle holes.
- Many batiks use deep, even dyes that resist fading. To be safe, use color catchers when prewashing your fabric or when washing your quilt for the first time!
Batik wide backs are great when you want to accent your quilting design. Oh, and if you’re worried about the initial stiffness of your batik backing … it will soften with washing!
I used to work for SewBatik and I LOVE their wide backs! They are so smooth and soft (not like your typical batik with a finish on them). Check out their selection by clicking here
Minky / Cuddle
Okay, here’s your cuddliest option! Minky / cuddle wide backs are super soft and plush. They result in a totally different feel and give a totally different quilting experience!
- Minky’s texture is simply luxurious!
- Your finished quilt will drape beautifully.
- Minky’s nap camouflages any uneven or imperfect stitching. You don’t see the actual stitches, just the resulting design.
- Because minky / cuddle is a polyester, it resists wrinkles and doesn’t shrink.
- However, because it is polyester, it is stretchy in one direction and slippery in the other. This can make loading your wide back tricky. If possible, you want the selvages to be on the sides, and your zippers pinned to the cut edges!
- If you must cut your minky wide back, be sure to have a vacuum and lint roller at-the-ready! Cut edges shed like crazy!!!
- While your finished quilt will be extremely cuddly, be aware that minky can also feel very heavy. And because minky is a polyester fabric, it is not breathable. You may feel too warm under a minky-backed quilt.
Minky / cuddle is thick and plush. Use a low-loft batting with this type of wide back!
I’m going to close our discussion of wide back fabrics with a few tips and suggestions.
Square your backing. I know that applies no matter what form your backing takes, but it can be easier to ignore with wide backs. I mean, after all, you just had your fabric cut off the bolt, right? Remember to use your selvage edges and align them so there’s no twist in your fabric. (If you’d like a visual reminder, please see my Angie’s Answers YouTube video “Part 1 How to Square up a Backing Fabric.”)
Think through the best way to load your wide back fabric. Take into consideration nap, selvage edges, and print and quilting design directionality. Also consider stitching efficiency.
Check for flaws. Wide backs can have small printing or weave imperfections. Make sure you inspect your fabric before quilting. Buying quality quilt shop fabric will minimize this issue.
Store your wide back fabric rolled, not folded. This helps prevent deep creases caused by the weight of a large fabric cut.
So, what are your thoughts on using wide back fabric for your longarm quilting? Are you a fan? Maybe this is something new for you to try? Share your experiences, please!
Time to see what else is happening at The Quilting Connection!
In-person Classes
Our class schedule is wrapping up for 2025! The few November classes that are left are full. But stay tuned! We’ll be announcing the first of our 2026 classes soon!
Especially watch for Wendy Fuller’s free-motion and ruler classes. We’ll be offering this super popular series again in the spring, probably in the March through May time frame.
Feel free to visit the Classes page of our website to catch updates as they develop.
Upcoming Events
APQS Road Shows
If you’re interested in learning all about longarm quilting and the APQS machines, these Road Show events are the way to go! We’ve held several at both our Elkhorn and Appleton locations, and the quilters that attended them loved them!
Now we’ve got two more scheduled in other Wisconsin locations!
Hands-On Longarm Quilting Class and Roadshow:
Explore, Create and See what machine is right for you!
Date: Wednesday, 11-19-25
Location: Holiday Inn Eau Claire
4751 Owen Ayres Ct.
&
Date: Thursday, 11-20-25
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton – Madison East
4402 E Washington Ave.
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Cost: FREE!
Join us for a fun, hands-on day exploring the world of longarm quilting! This class is perfect for anyone curious about using a longarm quilting machine—whether you’re brand new or just want to get more comfortable with the features and capabilities.
We’ll start by walking through the key features of the longarm machine, including: threading, tension, and stitching options. You’ll get plenty of hands-on time to practice and see how easy and enjoyable quilting can be on a longarm.
Then, put your new skills to use with a make-and-take project that you’ll finish during class and take home with you! All materials are provided—just bring your enthusiasm and creativity.
PLEASE NOTE, even though these classes are FREE, we ask you to register so that we know how many will be attending. We want to have enough class materials on hand!
When you click on the above links, you’ll be taken to an APQS webpage as they monitor the registration counts.
2026 Events
Thought I’d drop a little preview of some of the upcoming events scheduled for early 2026. Is your calendar ready?
February 14, 2026 2026 Winter Quilt Show West Bend, WI
March 28-29, 2026 Crazy Quilters Quilt Show Mukwonago, WI
April 11-12, 2026 Northwoods Quilt Show Marinette, WI
April 17-18, 2026 Evergreen Quilt Guild Show Green Bay, WI
I’ll share more details as these dates get closer.
Distributor Sales!
Handi Quilter
Black Friday is just around the corner! Can you believe it? Here’s what Handi Quilter is offering this year!
APQS
APQS is skipping Black Friday and jumping right to Christmas. How about these deals!
BUT to celebrate this season of joy (and quilting, of course!), APQS is gifting you Free Shipping through 12/31/25
The Handi Quilter Black Friday sale runs through December 1st.
The APQS Christmas sale runs through December 31st.
Please contact us for more details on either sale!!!
The Quilting Central Podcast Update
Have you caught the latest episode of The Quilting Central Podcast?
Check out our latest video, “Favorite Quilting Notions You NEED in Your Sewing Room.” Julie, Cathy and I share our all-time favorite sewing and quilting notions – the tools that make every project faster, easier and more accurate!
We cover:
- The best pins for piecing, appliqué, and layering (and why they matter)
- Must-have machine maintenance tools for smoother stitches & fewer hiccups
- Creative fabric marking tools that won’t damage your fabric
- Pressing tools that make flat seams & crisp points effortless
- Favorite rulers & guides for cutting, trimming, and perfect piecing
- Longarm quilting notions, specialty feet, and free-motion helpers for domestic machines
And for a complete listing of all our episodes, check out the Quilting Central Podcast YouTube channel! Be sure to subscribe and comment. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
That’s it! As always …
Please remember, if you ever have ANY questions or want additional information about ANY of the products and services we offer, please call us at (262) 723-6775 or email us at info@QuiltingConnection.com.
You can also visit us online at QuiltingConnection.com or in person at 21 Adams Street in Elkhorn, WI (usually M-F 9-4, please call to confirm we’re open) or 1017 W. Northland in Appleton, WI (W, Th & F 10-4, S 10-3).
Finally, check out our blog at QuiltingConnection.com/blog and our Facebook posts.
And please share your thoughts and questions. I’d love to hear from you!
Angie