How to Finish a Quilt: Crossing the Finish Line
Some of us enjoy making quilt tops so much, we prefer to hire a professional machine quilter (usually a “longarmer”) to finish our work. But if you‘d rather tackle the job yourself, super! So with this in mind, we created a tutorial on how to finish a quilt that’s quick, easy, and sew much fun! And whether you’re finishing your first quilt or your hundredth, always remember to relish in the joy of quilting.
Choose Your Thread
To start, decide which color thread will look best on your quilt top before choosing your backing fabric. A thread color that will blend in with the quilt top is a good choice for beginners because mistakes won’t show as much. (Choose backing fabric that will blend with your thread, too—prints are a good choice.)
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Which Width is Which?
The backing fabric must be at least 3” – 4” larger than your quilt top on all 4 sides. So, say your quilt top measures 44” × 44”. Your backing needs to be at least 50” × 50”. If your quilt top is 80” × 96”, then your backing fabric needs to be at least 86” × 102”. You get the idea. For quilt tops 36” wide or less, use a single width of fabric for the backing. Buy enough length to allow adequate margin at quilt edges, as noted above.
When your quilt is wider than 36”, one option is to use 60”-, 90”-, or 108”-wide fabric for the quilt backing. Because fabric selection is limited for wide fabrics, quilters generally piece the quilt backing from 44/45”-wide fabric, which just means that they sew multiple pieces of fabric together. Plan for 40” – 42” of usable fabric width when estimating how much fabric to buy.
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For a quilt 37”–60” wide, a backing with horizontal seams is usually the most economical use of fabric. For example, for a quilt 50” × 70”, vertical seams would require 153“, or 4¼ yards, of 44/45” – wide fabric (76½” + 76½” = 153”). Horizontal seams would require 117”, or 3¼ yards (58½” + 58½” = 117”).
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For a quilt 61”–80” wide, most quilters piece a three-panel backing with vertical seams from two lengths of fabric. Cut one of the pieces in half lengthwise, and sew the halves to opposite sides of the wider panel. Press the seams open from the center panel.
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For a quilt 81”–120” wide, you will need three lengths of fabric plus extra margin. For example, for a quilt 108” × 108”, purchase at least 342”, or 9½ yards, of 44/45”-wide fabric (114” + 114” + 114”= 342”).
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For a three-panel backing, pin the selvage edge of the center panel to the selvage edge of the side panel, with edges aligned and right sides facing. Machine stitch with a ½” seam. Trim seam allowances to ¼”, trimming off the selvages from both panels at the same time. Press the seam open from the center of the quilt. Repeat for the center panel.
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For a two-panel backing, join panels in the same manner as above and press the seam open.
There’s a little saying among quilters — “There are three ways to quilt a quilt: by hand, by machine, and by checkbook.
Make Yourself a Sandwich
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Create a “quilt sandwich” by layering the backing, batting, and quilt top. Find the crosswise center of the backing fabric by folding it in half. Mark with a pin on each side. Lay backing on a table or floor, right side down. Tape corners and edges of backing to the surface with masking or painter’s tape so backing is taut but not pulled so tightly that it bags anywhere (Photo A).
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Fold batting in half crosswise and position it atop backing fabric, centering folded edge at center of backing (Photo B). Unfold batting and smooth it out atop backing (Photo C).
3
In the same manner, fold the quilt top in half crosswise and center it atop backing and batting (Photo D). Unfold top and smooth it out on top of the batting (Photo E).
4
Use safety pins to pin -baste the layers (Photo F). Pins should be placed about a fist-width apart.
5
For straight -line quilting, install an even feed or walking foot on your machine. This presser foot helps all three layers of your quilt to move through the machine evenly without bunching.
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An easy way to quilt your first quilt is to stitch “in the ditch” along seam lines. No marking is needed for this type of quilting. Enjoy machine quilting, folks! It’s fun stuff.
Quilt Along with Hannah and Megan!
There’s a reason we wanted to dive into how to finish a quilt this month: our beginner quilt along has come to end! It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since Hannah and Megan started working on their first blocks of Kari Mathews’ Favorite Things. This has definitely been a quilt along for the books! You can find directions for each section of this 6-part quilt pattern in the issues listed below, or download the complete digital pattern.
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You can find Part 1 in the Dec ‘22/Jan ’23 issue of Quick + Easy Quilts
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You can find Part 2 in the Feb/Mar ’23 issue of Quick + Easy Quilts
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You can find Part 3 in the Apr/May ’23 issue of Quick + Easy Quilts
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You can find Part 4 in the Jun/Jul ’23 issue of Quick + Easy Quilts
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You can find Part 5 in the Aug/Sept ’23 issue of Quick + Easy Quilts
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You can find Part 6 in the Oct/Nov ’23 issue of Quick + Easy Quilts
Hannah’s Experience
After staring at all these separate blocks for months, sewing it all together felt a little surreal. It’s like something magic happened. The same kind of transformation that happens when you bake something. All these s eparate and distinct parts meld together into a beautiful new whole.
And I especially love how the quilting looks. (Thank you, Kim Waite!) So, as long as no one looks too closely at my binding, I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. Now, I finally have a quilt of my own to add to my collection at home!
Megan’s Experience
When I started this quilt, I was unsure what to expect. As I learned different techniques and began to see the finished blocks come together, the artist in me saw that this too was yet another medium. Just as you would a painting, you map out your canvas, decide on a cohesive color palette, and begin.
As your artwork unfolds, the eye starts to see things, perhaps to change course, dive into a different depth of color, and of course, being okay with the imperfections. I am so pleased with the journey of crafting and making my first quilt with the team at Quilting Daily. I look forward to my next quilt! Happy Quilting!
Quilt Your Heart Out
In the world of quilting, there’s a special joy in completing a quilt from start to finish. So we hope this tutorial on how to finish a quilt has inspired you to bring your latest project to the finish line! And as you embark on your quilting adventures, remember that every quilt is a work of heart. Share your creations with us on Instagram, Facebook, or the comments below.
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I am sad that this does not include any information about hand quilting as a finishing option. Many of us enjoy this restful option.
“An easy way to quilt your first quilt is to stitch “in the ditch” along seam lines. No marking is needed for this type of quilting. Enjoy machine quilting, folks! It’s fun stuff.” This is a quote from you. YOU don’t mention any other way to quilt like straight lines or using a swirling, free style motion. Why not?? I know stitching in the ditch isn’t the only way for a beginner to quilt. Disappointing!!