Picking a Backing Fabric for your Scrap Quilt

I like to collect backing fabrics. Whenever there is a fabric that I really love or when I see a fabric sale for some great prints, I will pick up yardage to use for backing fabric. This is true for all kinds of quilting projects (not just scrappy ones) but scrap quilts are a great opportunity to have a little fun with your backing choice. 

If you are looking for general help on stocking up on backing fabrics, you can check out this previous post about building a stash of backing fabrics. If you are looking for more information specific to scrap quilts, I have broken down my favorite types of scrap quilt backings into the categories below.

Something Fun!

Currently available examples: Food Group Green Grocer, Stay Gold New Leaf, and Tiny Beasts Glimmer Deer John. 

Scrap quilt backings are a great opportunity to favorite brightly colored prints or large scale fabrics. Is there a favorite novelty print that you love but don't know how you would use in a quilt?

Is there a print with large scale flowers that you don't want to cut into little pieces?

Something Cozy!

Currently available examples: Mammoth Junior Flannel Peach, Cuddle 90" Extra Wide Bluebell, and 60" wide Emoji Minky.

Scrap quilts also perfect for cozy backing fabrics such as minky or flannel. Scrap quilts are the most used quilts in my house and my kids always request a minky backing for them. 

 Minky is not super fun to piece, so I keep a stash of these 90" wide minky backing fabrics on hand. If you haven't worked with minky before, it is really not much trickier than using regular quilting cotton. 

Flannel is also great for a scrap quilt backing. I always prewash my flannel to make sure it doesn't shrink a bunch and have never had an issue with it. 

Something that Tones Down the Crazy!

Currently available examples: Beautiful Day Stone Blooms, Starry Posy, and Bee Basics Turquoise.

I love a little crazy in quilts, but sometimes there is a lot going on in a scrap quilt and it's nice to be able to town it down a little bit with a more tame backing/binding combination.  

This is usually a print that will unify the colors in the collection. Most of the time when I pick a backing like this, it is for a quilt with a more cultivated selection of scraps rather than a random mass of color. 

Something You Love!

Currently available examples: First Light Tangerine Dream, Stay Gold Metallic Vintage Blue Blossom, and Birthday Teal Funfetti.

Is there a fun fabric that you love so much you just really want to use a whole bunch of it? I have a lot of these and find myself splurging on large cuts of favorite prints so that I make sure to have enough to back a quilt.

Usually, I hoard these until the perfect project comes along. It is so satisfying to back a quilt with a favorite print. 

Backing is half the quilt and it can be such an important choice in finishing off your project. You don't have to break the bank to find the the exact perfect backing fabric, but it is nice to make an intentional choice and use something that will help complete your quilt.