Marshall Dry Goods is one of the quilting industry's quiet workhorses. The Arkansas mill has been supplying quilt shops with dependable 100% cotton blenders and wide backings for decades, and their fabric consistently punches above its price. Right now, our entire MDG catalog is on clearance pricing - which makes this the best backing-per-dollar in the store. Here is what the lines are and how quilters use them. Shop everything in All Clearance Fabrics.
The 108" Quilt Backs - The Star of the Catalog
MDG's 108" wide quilt backs are the practical heart of this catalog. One width of 108" fabric backs a queen with zero seams - no piecing, no matching, no wrestling ten yards of 45" cotton on the longarm table. The lines to know:
Smoothie - a subtle tone-on-tone texture that reads nearly solid. The White, Medium Gray, and Steel Gray Smoothies are the utility backings every longarm studio should keep on hand - they hide bobbin thread beautifully and go with everything.
Marble - the classic swirled blender in backing width. Medium Gray, Lightest Gray, and Red add just enough movement to disguise wear and quilting inconsistencies.
Printed Quilt Backs - when the back deserves to be a second front: Dancin' Dahlias in Blue and Gold or Olive and Gold, Fairy Tale for kids' quilts, and Grunge Paint for a painterly modern look.
The 45" Blender Lines
MDG's 45" blenders are stash builders - the supporting-cast fabrics that make the feature prints sing. Crackle (see Navy, Steel Gray, Chocolate, Taupe) gives a fine crazed texture that reads as a rich solid. Cross Strokes (Burgundy, Caribbean, Gold, Steel Gray and a dozen more) is a sketchy crosshatch that works in every era of quilt from Civil War repro to modern. Color Wave (Black) rounds out the texture family.
Why Clearance Pricing Makes This the Backing Play
Backing is the biggest single yardage purchase in any quilt - 3 to 4 yards of 108" for a queen or king. At clearance prices, MDG backs cost less per quilt than piecing 45" yardage, with none of the labor. If you run a longarm business, this is the moment to put a bolt of gray Smoothie and a bolt of white on the shelf for customer quilts. When these are gone, they are gone - clearance stock does not restock.
How Much Backing Do You Need?
With 108" fabric, buy the length of your quilt plus 8 inches, divided by 36. A 90" x 90" queen needs about 2.75 yards; a 96" x 108" king needs about 3.25 yards laid the smart direction. Compare that to 8-9 yards of 45" fabric plus an evening of seaming, and the math settles itself. For the full wideback education, see our 108" Wideback Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Marshall Dry Goods fabric good quality?
- Yes - MDG weaves quilt-shop-grade 100% cotton with a consistent hand, and their blenders and backings have been quilt shop staples for decades. The clearance pricing reflects our catalog transition, not the fabric's grade.
- What is the difference between Smoothie, Marble, and Crackle?
- All three are tone-on-tone blenders. Smoothie is the subtlest, reading almost solid. Marble has a classic swirl. Crackle shows a fine cracked-glaze texture. On the back of a quilt, all three hide quilting irregularities better than a true solid.
- Do 108" backings shrink or need prewashing?
- They behave like any quality quilting cotton - expect roughly 3-5% shrinkage on first wash. For longarm work, most quilters load backings unwashed; just make sure top and back get the same treatment so they shrink together.
- Can I use 108" backing fabric on the front of a quilt?
- Absolutely - it is the same cotton, just wider. Whole-cloth quilts, borders cut without piecing, and big-block modern quilts all benefit from the seam-free width.
- Will these fabrics be restocked?
- Clearance items are final-run inventory. If a colorway works for a planned quilt, buy the full yardage now - partial bolts sell out without warning.
Browse the full clearance selection in All Clearance Fabrics and Fabric Clearance, and pair any backing with the right batting using the Batting Hub.
