Nobody loves seaming a quilt back. A 108-inch wideback solves the whole problem: one piece of fabric, no center seam, and your longarmer stops sighing when you drop the quilt off. Our wideback wall now runs 83 active pieces across a dozen brands - here's the map, plus the yardage math everyone asks for.
The Moda Basics Widebacks
The workhorses. Grunge 108 in Ash and Cobalt bring the most-loved texture in quilting to backing width. Thatched in Gray is the other Moda staple, and Pearl Bracelet in Eggshell White covers the low-volume back.
Wilmington: Swirling Leaves & Dry Brush
Wilmington's tonal prints are longarm favorites because the texture hides everything. Swirling Leaves in Light Gray, Red, and Teal; Dry Brush in Dark Gray and Dark Blue.
Benartex: Color Flow, Bloom & Friends
Color Flow is the ombre-wash option in Ecru, Gray/Black, and Cobalt Blue. Bloom Frolic comes in Teal and Peri, with Cosette Dark Teal and Footstool Charcoal for the deep-tone backs.
Riley Blake & Windham
RB brings Mercantile Adore (the Lori Holt back) and Sweet Freedom in Red for patriotic quilts. Windham's five are covered in my Windham hub: Multi Measure, Carnival, Our House Charcoal, Winter Medallion, Navy Wanda, plus Black Radiance.
The Rest of the Wall
P&B runs a deep program - Translucence, Bohemia in two colorways, the ELIZ series (ZE, BS, DT), and Serenity. Specialty picks: QT Globetrotter Maps for the travel quilt, HG Splash Patriotic, Maywood Paper Flurries for Christmas, and FreeSpirit Watercolor Urchins for the art-quilt crowd.
The Yardage Math
Here's the cheat sheet I give at the cutting table. Throw (60x70): 2 yards. Twin (70x90): 2.75 yards. Queen (90x100): 3 yards. King (110x110): 3.25 yards - and note a king is wider than 108 inches, so run the fabric sideways (railroaded) and 3.25 yards covers it. Always add 4 inches of overage per side if it's going on a longarm frame; check our batting wall for the matching-width battings while you're at it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much 108-inch fabric do I need for a queen quilt back?
Three yards. A queen top around 90 by 100 inches fits within a single 108-inch width with overage on all sides for longarm mounting.
What does railroading a quilt back mean?
Running the fabric width along the quilt's length instead of its width. For king quilts wider than 108 inches, railroading lets one continuous cut cover the quilt without seams.
Is 108-inch wide fabric the same quality as regular quilting cotton?
Yes - quilt-shop widebacks from Moda, Wilmington, Benartex, and the other brands here are the same thread count and hand as their 44-inch quilting cottons, just woven on wider looms.
Should I pre-wash wideback fabric?
Match your quilt top: if the top is pre-washed, pre-wash the back. Mixing washed and unwashed fabrics causes uneven shrinkage and puckering after the first launder.
