108" Wide Quilt Backing Fabric — Complete Buyer's Guide
Linda's Electric Quilters carries one of the most extensive selections of 108" wide cotton wideback fabric available — over 400 options sold by the yard, covering every colour, texture, and designer print. This guide covers everything you need to know to choose and order the right wideback for your quilt.
Why 108" Wideback?
Standard quilting cotton is 44–45" wide. A standard queen quilt back requires at least 90" of width — which means two or three standard-width pieces sewn together with a seam running down the centre. At 108" wide, a single piece of wideback covers the full width of a queen quilt back with no centre seam, and requires significantly less fabric waste than constructing a pieced back.
For longarm quilting specifically, wideback fabric eliminates the tension issues that backing seams can cause when loading. A seamless back loads more consistently, feeds more evenly, and produces cleaner results.
How Much to Order
A simple rule: order the length of your quilt top plus 10–12 inches for longarm loading margin. For a 90" long queen quilt, order 2.75–3 yards of wideback. For a 108" king quilt, order 4 yards. The 108" width handles the full width of any standard size quilt without piecing.
Available Collections
Linda's carries wideback from all major brands, each with its own detailed guide: Northcott Stonehenge, Moda Grunge, Moda Bella Solids, Moda Muslin, Kaffe Fassett, Tim Holtz and Tula Pink, Riley Blake/Lori Holt, Oasis Etchings, Timeless Treasures, Blank Quilting, and more. Shop by brand, colour, or style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Solid, tonal, or print — which backing class should I choose?
Solids (Bella) display the quilting crisply and demand perfect tension; tonals (Stonehenge, Grunge, Shabby, Etchings) balance good looks with forgiveness; prints (Kaffe, Timeless Treasures, Lori Holt) hide everything and add personality. Match the class to how much the back will be scrutinised.
Does wideback cost more than piecing standard cotton?
Usually less per quilt — a queen back takes ~3 yards of wideback versus ~6 yards of 44" cotton plus cutting and seaming time. The per-yard price is higher but the total cost and labour are lower, which is why studios standardise on it.
Which direction do I load wideback on a longarm?
Railroaded — the 108" width runs across the frame and the yardage length runs down the quilt — so the lengthwise grain feeds through the rollers. That's the orientation the width was designed for, and it keeps stretch to a minimum during quilting.
