Every quilt top eventually needs a back, and that is where wideback fabric earns its keep. The Natural Flower Patch Farmers Almanac Raindrop Wideback from Riley Blake Designs is a cotton wideback in a soft natural colorway, printed with the garden-themed text and icons of the Flower Patch collection by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet. Instead of piecing several standard-width cuts together, one length of this extra-wide fabric can cover most quilt backs in a single, seamless piece.
What This Fabric Is
This is a 100% cotton fabric from Riley Blake Designs, measuring 107"/108" wide — more than twice the width of a standard quilting cotton — and sold by the yard. It belongs to Flower Patch by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet, a collection built around gardening. The print features garden-themed text and icons, so even the back of your quilt carries the collection's story. The natural ground gives those motifs a calm, neutral backdrop that pairs easily with the brighter prints on a quilt front.
Riley Blake notes that Flower Patch is great for quilting, apparel and home decor, and that this 107"/108" width is sized to accommodate most quilt backs. That combination — a pretty print at a practical width — is exactly what a wideback should be.
What It Is Best For
- Quilt backs: Its main job. One width covers most throw, twin, and many larger quilt tops without a center seam to align or press.
- Garden-themed quilts: If your quilt top uses Flower Patch prints, this backing echoes the gardening text and icons so the finished quilt feels designed from both sides.
- Neutral projects: The natural colorway suits quilts where a bright backing would fight with the front, and it hides everyday use gracefully.
- Home decor: The extra width also suits larger decor sewing where a standard 44"/45" cut would need piecing.
How to Use a Wideback Backing
Measure first. Measure your finished quilt top, then allow extra on all sides — quilters commonly add several inches top, bottom, and sides so the backing stays generous through basting and quilting. With a 107"/108" width, check whether your quilt's shorter dimension fits across the width; if it does, you only need to order length.
Order by length. Because it is sold per yard, figure the length you need (the quilt's longer dimension plus your overage) and order that yardage. One continuous cut means no piecing, no seam allowance lost, and no seam line running down the middle of the back.
Press and square before layering. Wide fabric can arrive with fold lines, so press the full piece before you layer it with batting and top. Trim the selvages if your quilting method calls for it, and make sure the backing lies flat — wrinkles pressed in now will quilt in later.
Mind the print direction. This print includes text, so decide which way is "up" before you baste. Garden-themed lettering reads best when it runs the same direction as the quilt top, especially on a bed quilt that will be viewed from one end.
Pairing and Care
The natural ground is easy to pair: it works under Flower Patch quilt tops, of course, but also under any garden, farmhouse, or spring-colored patchwork where you want the back to whisper rather than shout. If your binding comes from a brighter Flower Patch print, that pop of color at the edge ties the two sides together nicely.
Care follows the instructions for this fabric: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. Washing the backing the same way you plan to wash the finished quilt helps the whole project age evenly.
A good backing is the quiet finishing touch that makes a quilt feel complete. With its seamless width, gentle natural color, and Lori Holt's garden artwork, this Flower Patch wideback turns the back of your quilt into part of the design.
Shop the Natural Flower Patch Farmers Almanac Raindrop Wideback Fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
