What This Fabric Is
The Black Midnight Mixology Wideback Fabric, sold by the yard at Linda's Electric Quilters, is a 108-inch cotton wideback from the Mixology collection by QT Fabrics. Its print is called Stir, and the colourway is black with dark and light blues worked through it — so it is not a flat black solid, but a deep, moody ground with movement in it. That movement comes from the collection's source: the acrylic paintings of artist Ocllo Mason, brought to fabric with strong colour and abstract design.
An abstract backing changes what the back of a quilt does: instead of a plain afterthought, it becomes a second surface with its own energy. It is a natural partner for modern and abstract tops, and for dark or jewel-toned tops that need a back with the same depth. At a full 108 inches wide, it also covers most quilt backs in one seamless piece, with no piecing and no centre seam.
How Much Backing Do You Really Need? Top Plus 8 Inches
Start with the standard rule: your backing should measure your quilt top plus 8 inches in both directions — 4 extra inches on every side. That overhang gives a longarm quilter room to load, clamp, and advance the quilt, and gives a home quilter room to baste securely and quilt right out to the edges as the layers shift slightly.
Now run the numbers against a 108-inch width. Tops up to 100 inches wide fit across a single width with no piecing. A 60 by 72 inch throw needs a 68 by 80 inch backing — one width covers the 68-inch side, and 80 inches of length is just over 2-1/4 yards. A 72 by 90 inch twin needs an 80 by 98 inch backing, just over 2-3/4 yards, so order 3. A 90 by 100 inch queen needs 98 by 108 inches, which fits the width at exactly 3 yards. For any size, take the longer backing dimension, divide by 36, and round up.
Cotton, Minky, or Flannel? Choosing the Right Feel
A 108-inch cotton wideback like this one is the stable, breathable default: it presses crisply, does not stretch, and stays seamless for almost any quilt size. Flannel is brushed cotton — warmer and cosier, with more shrinkage to plan for. Minky is plush polyester — soft and drapy, but stretchier, sensitive to high heat, and usually narrower. Choose this black Mixology cotton when the design matters as much as the function: a dramatic, art-led back for a modern quilt.
Working Tips: Pressing the Fold, Prewashing, and Longarm Loading
Pressing the fold: Wideback yardage arrives folded, and cotton remembers the crease. Unfold it fully and press with a warm iron from the centre outward. For a stubborn centre fold, a light spritz of water or a pass of steam usually settles it — a crease left in place can quilt in permanently, and on a dark fabric it can show as a pale line.
Prewashing: With a saturated black and blue print, prewashing deserves a decision rather than a habit. Cotton can shrink slightly, and deep colours can release a little dye in a first wash. Many quilters prewash a dark backing on its own, or with like colours, before combining it with a light quilt top. If you prewash the backing, treat the top fabrics the same way so everything shrinks together.
Longarm loading: Confirm the backing is square before loading, keep the selvages even, and smooth it with even — not tight — tension. An abstract print needs no motif centred, but check the direction of the design before loading so the movement flows the way you want across the finished quilt.
Care
For the finished quilt, wash in cool to warm water on a gentle cycle with like colours, especially for the first few washes while the deep blues settle, and tumble dry low or line dry. Cotton softens with washing while keeping its structure, and gentle care helps a dark backing keep its depth instead of fading early.
Shop the Black Midnight Mixology Wideback Fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
