Multi Cat Pack Wideback is a 108-inch-wide, 100% cotton quilting fabric from Windham Fabrics, printed with a playful multi-color pack of cats, made to back a quilt in a single seamless piece instead of piecing narrower fabric together. It is best for cat lovers who want a backing with personality — one wide cut of cotton that covers most quilt tops with no backing seams to line up.
What Is Multi Cat Pack Wideback Fabric?
A wideback is exactly what it sounds like: quilting cotton woven extra wide, so the back of your quilt can be one continuous panel. This one measures 108 inches wide and is 100% cotton, the same fiber quilters trust for their quilt tops, so it quilts, washes, and wears the way you expect cotton to.
The print is the fun part. Cat Pack scatters a whole crew of cats across the fabric in multiple colors, so the back of the quilt becomes a second design instead of an afterthought. Because the fabric is sold by the yard, you order the length you need and get one generous piece, wide enough for most throw, twin, and many larger tops without a center seam.
It is made by Windham Fabrics and sold by the yard at Linda's, in the wideback collection alongside other 108-inch cotton backings.
How to Use It
Start by measuring your quilt top, then add a few extra inches on all sides for quilting take-up and trimming — longarm quilters typically want about 4 extra inches on every side, so check your quilter's requirements before you order. The 108-inch width does most of the work for you: for many tops, a single length of this fabric is the whole backing.
Before you load or baste, give the cotton a press to smooth out fold lines, and square up the cut edges so the backing hangs straight. If your top is wider than 108 inches even after the extra allowance, you can add a strip of a coordinating solid along one side — place that seam off to one edge rather than down the middle, where it is less noticeable and avoids the bulkiest part of the quilt.
For sewing and quilting, treat it like any quality quilting cotton: a standard needle, good-quality thread, and an allover or edge-to-edge quilting design all work well. A busy, multi-color print like this one is forgiving — it hides quilting stitches and small imperfections beautifully, which makes it a friendly choice for newer quilters. Pair it with cat-themed tops, obviously, but it also makes a cheerful surprise back for kids' quilts, charity quilts, and any project where the recipient is a confirmed cat person.
A Project to Try
Try a reversible cat-lover's throw, where the backing gets equal billing. You will need a simple pieced top in cottons that pick up the colors in the Cat Pack print, batting, and enough Cat Pack Wideback to cover the back with your quilting allowance.
First, piece a straightforward top — large squares or a simple patchwork in coordinating colors keeps the focus balanced between front and back. Next, cut your Cat Pack backing a few inches larger than the top on all sides and layer it with batting and the top. Then quilt with an allover design; a meander or paw-print motif suits the theme. Finally, bind as usual, and flip the quilt over whenever you want the cats on display — the back is cute enough to be the front.
Care and Handling
As a 100% cotton fabric, Cat Pack Wideback cares for like the rest of your quilting cottons. If you pre-wash your top fabrics, pre-wash this too, in cold water with like colors, so everything shrinks together; if you prefer the crinkly, well-loved look, skip pre-washing and wash the finished quilt gently in cold, then tumble dry low. Press with a warm iron during construction, and when storing yardage, fold it loosely or roll it to minimize deep creases in the wide piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much wideback do I need for a quilt?
Measure your quilt top's length, add about 8 inches for quilting allowance, and order that length — for a 70-inch-long throw top, roughly 2.25 yards of 108-inch fabric covers the back in one piece, as long as the top's width plus allowance stays under 108 inches.
Does a 108-inch backing need to be pieced?
Usually not. The 108-inch width covers most throw, twin, and many queen tops in a single panel, which is the whole point of a wideback — no seams to match or press on the back.
Is this fabric only for quilt backs?
Backings are its main job, but the wide cotton works anywhere you need a big, seamless piece — think duvet covers, curtains, or a tablecloth for a cat-themed party.
Shop the Multi Cat Pack Wideback Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
