What Delightfully Yours Navy Wideback Is
Delightfully Yours Navy Cotton Wideback is a 108-inch-wide backing fabric from Moda Fabrics, designed by Sherri & Chelsi for their Delightfully Yours collection. It is 100% cotton and sold by the yard, so you order the length your quilt actually needs rather than working around standard-width yardage. That single fact — more than double the width of a regular 44"/45" quilting cotton — is what makes a wideback such a practical tool in the finishing stage of a quilt.
With ordinary-width fabric, backing a quilt wider than about 40 inches means piecing: cutting panels, sewing them together, and pressing the seams so the back lies flat. A 108" wideback removes most of that work. For many quilts, one continuous length of this fabric covers the entire back with no seam at all, which means less measuring, less sewing, and a smoother surface for quilting.
What a Navy Wideback Is Best For
The obvious job is quilt backing, and navy is one of the most useful colors you can choose for it. A deep navy back suits quilts with navy, blue, or cool-toned prints on the front, and it also works beautifully behind high-contrast tops — think white-and-blue quilts, nautical or patriotic color schemes, and quilts for beds where a dark, forgiving back is a practical choice. A darker backing also tends to be kinder about everyday use, showing lint and light soiling less readily than a pale back would.
Because the fabric is a full quilting cotton, offcuts are not wasted. Leftover lengths from trimming a back can be cut down for binding strips, sashing, borders, or pieced blocks in a future project, and wider pieces work for backing smaller quilts, wall hangings, and table runners as well. Buying wideback by the yard gives you that flexibility: order for your largest planned back, and the remainder stays useful in the stash.
How to Measure, Cut, and Use It
Start with your finished quilt top. Your backing should be larger than the top on all sides — quilters commonly add at least 4 inches total in each direction, and longarm quilters often ask for more, so check your quilter's requirements before you order. With a 108" width, divide your needed backing width by 108 to see whether one width covers you; if it does, the yardage you need is simply your required backing length, converted to yards. That one calculation replaces the panel math of standard-width backing.
Before cutting, press the fabric and square up one edge so your length cuts are true. Wideback yardage is folded for shipping and storage, so give the fold lines a good press — a smooth, flat back matters for even quilting. When you trim after quilting, save the offcuts: long, wide strips come off a wideback, and they are ideal binding and border material.
For pairing, treat navy as a strong, steady partner. It deepens red-and-white and blue-and-white quilts, grounds bright modern prints without competing with them, and gives traditional quilts a classic finish. If you are also choosing binding, a navy binding cut from your wideback offcuts creates a clean, coordinated frame; a contrasting binding in red, white, or a lighter blue adds definition instead. Always audition binding against both the front and the back, since it touches both.
Care and Storage
Care for this cotton wideback the way you would other quality quilting cotton. If you prewash, use cold water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent, then tumble dry low or line dry, and press with a warm iron. Deep colors like navy deserve a little extra attention on a first wash: wash dark fabrics separately until you are confident the color is stable. Store folded yardage out of direct sunlight so the rich navy you chose stays rich, and keep your measured, squared piece ready — when a finished top is waiting, a ready-to-go backing is the difference between a quilt in progress and a quilt in use.
Shop the Delightfully Yours Navy Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
