Cotton! The Standard of Quilting Fabric is 100% 'Quilt Shop' Quality Cotton.
Having been quilting for over 40 years (started when I was just ONE year old!!! HaHa). My first quilt, I used a mix of poly-cottons and cotton fabrics. The best fabric for quilting is definitly cotton. Especially, if you have used cottons on the top, DON'T use a blend (polyester & cotton) for the backing. It will tend to cause puckers because 'all cotton' versus a 'poly-cotton' will stretch differently in the three layer process of quilting.
There are many people in the quilting world that believe you must pre-wash the fabric. This is a big topic in the quilting world. Here is more info about "Washing Fabric".
Best suggestion for a beginner quilter is to purchase a 'charm pack'. A charm pack (created by Moda Fabrics) consists of (42) 5 inch squares from a line of coordinating fabrics. One charm pack makes a small baby sized quilt. Purchase more charm packs for a larger quilt.
Of course, if you would prefer to make a simple quilt with fabrics or scraps that you already have, just cut your fabric pieces into 5 inch (or 6 inch) squares.
Lay out the squares on the floor or other large surface. Then sew either rows using a 1/4 inch seam allowance (not the 5/8" seam allowance you used when sewing clothing). Sew each row together - USING PINS - at each intersection to make sure the seams line up.
Then sew each of those rows together to make a complete quilt top.
There is a lot of controversy in the quilt world on whether you should pre-wash your fabric before using it a quilt. Everyone has their own opinion, and are usually quite adament that they are correct in their opinion.
I 'used' to do some pre-washing of fabric in the old days when before the industry got better at setting the colors. Anything that was a dark red, blue or black got pre-washed. Now days, that is not necessary as the fabrics produced now have the colors set. You will still find the those that HAVE to pre-wash. Read more about that in the the link below.
For more on WASHING FABRIC.
Cotton! Again, the answer is 'quilt shop quality'* 100% cotton.
Another somewhat popular choice for quilt backing is "minky", a soft, synthetic fabric that feels oh so 'slimey'. Yes, I said slimey. These quilts will slide right off of your chair or couch. We have a NO MINKY rule in our quilt shop!!! Just don't do it, and don't make your longarm quilter have to deal with it.
For decades quilters have opted for the convenience of a bed sheet as backing fabric for quilts. Firstly, they might be more tightly woven; 180 threads per inch is considered a low thread count in bedding terms, but is more than double the common thread count of normal quilting fabric at 78 threads per square inch.
If using a sheet for the backing, PRE-WASH the sheet before giving it to your longarm quilter. Again, use a 100% cotton fabric, and consider the the higher the thread count, the nicer the backing will be. Remember those 'cheap' sheets you purchased and they made those nubby bumps? Don't use that.
Muslin, or another utilitarian fabric is what our grandmothers (or great-grand-mothers) used. Not the best fabric, but worked pretty well. Todays quilters use higher quality 100% fabrics for backing. Your quilt will last much longer over years of use. After all, isn't that what we want?
Wide Backing is a GREAT new invention. Most fabric widths are 108" wide, which means that for MOST quilts you do not have to piece the backing. Generally, the 'wide-backs' are considered more cost-effective. Easier for the piecer, easier for the quilter.
*quilt shop quality - This is a higher quality fabric that is NOT found at Joann's** or Wal-mart.
**JoAnn's fabric went out of business in early 2025.
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