Hi, friends!
Let's start with the project and choose fabric that makes it shine. Here are three ideas from The Fabric Company to spark your next quilt.
Three fabrics. Three ways to make something special.
01 / A star-spangled finish
Patriotic Stars • Navy Stars on White — 108-inch Supreme Backings, sold by the yard.
How I'd use it: I'd pair this starry backing with a red, white, and blue quilt top. The navy stars add personality when the quilt is folded back.
Why it works: The wide width can reduce backing seams when it fits your quilt and the extra your longarmer needs.
Try this: Pull a navy or red from your quilt top for a coordinated binding.
Corey's Patriotic Stars 108" wideback guide goes deeper on the whole colorway family.
02 / A soft, quiet companion
Tone on Tone • White on Cream Stars — 108-inch Supreme Backings, sold by the yard.
How I'd use it: I'd choose this subtle backing for a pastel throw or a quilt with a busy floral top. It adds interest without competing with the front.
Why it works: The gentle star pattern brings texture to a neutral palette.
Try this: Check the cream beside your quilt's light fabrics in daylight before choosing your binding.
03 / A little storytime sunshine
Created with Love • Seven Days • Sunshine — 44/45-inch fabric, sold by the yard.
How I'd use it: I'd feature this cheerful print in larger blocks for a storytime quilt, with simple coordinating solids around it.
Why it works: Larger pieces give the little pictures room to be seen.
Try this: Lay out every piece before sewing so the directional rows stay upright.
Why a 108" wideback doesn't automatically fit every quilt
Here's the part people miss. A 108-inch wideback is 108 inches wide, but your longarmer needs the backing to be larger than the quilt top on every side — usually 4 to 5 inches extra all the way around, so 8 to 10 inches more in both directions. That means a wideback seamlessly covers a top up to roughly 98 inches in one direction. The other direction is whatever yardage you buy, so measure your top, add the overage your longarmer asks for, and buy to that number. For a king quilt that runs wider than about 98 inches, you'll still be piecing — and when you do, press those backing seams open.
Corey's project-planning checklist
- Choose your pattern before deciding on yardage — Stop Guessing Your Quilt Yardage walks through it.
- Allow for directional prints and pattern repeats.
- Measure your quilt top and ask your longarmer how much extra backing is needed.
- A 108-inch width is useful, but it doesn't automatically fit every quilt.
- Project photos are inspiration; fabrics are sold separately.
Once the backing is on the frame, The "Perfectly Tight" Backing Mistake is the one to read before you crank it down.
Black Friday deals should be a whole season, not just four days. No rush at Linda's. Find the fabric you love. Create at your pace.
Happy quilting,
From Corey.
Shop The Fabric Company → — or browse every 108" option in our Wideback Fabric collection and the Know Your Widebacks series.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much 108-inch wideback fabric do I need for a quilt?
Measure the longer side of your quilt top, add the overage your longarmer requires (commonly 8 to 10 inches total), and divide by 36 to get yards. For example, a 90" × 100" top needs about 110" of length, or just over 3 yards of 108" wideback. The 108" width covers the shorter side as long as that side is under roughly 98 inches.
What is Supreme Backings fabric?
Supreme Backings is a line of 108-inch-wide, 100% cotton quilt backing fabric from The Fabric Company, sold by the yard at Linda's. The extra width lets most quilts be backed with a single piece of fabric, with no center seam to piece or press.
Should quilt backing match the quilt top?
It doesn't have to. A backing that echoes one color from the top — like navy stars behind a red, white, and blue quilt — looks intentional when the quilt is folded back. A tone-on-tone neutral is the safe choice behind a busy top because it adds texture without competing. Check light creams next to your top's light fabrics in daylight, since "cream" and "white" can clash.
How do I keep a directional print facing the right way in a quilt?
Decide which way is up, cut every piece with the print oriented the same way, and lay out the entire quilt on a design wall or floor before sewing a single seam. Allow extra yardage for directional prints, because you can't rotate pieces to squeeze more out of the fabric.
Is 108-inch wideback fabric cheaper than piecing a backing?
Often, yes, per quilt. Piecing a backing from 44/45-inch fabric usually takes two or three widths plus the time to sew and press the seams, and the leftover is awkward. A wideback is bought in a single length and has no seam, so even at a higher price per yard it can cost less for the same quilt and saves an afternoon of piecing.
