Working with 115" Wide Double Border Batik Cotton

Working with 115" Wide Double Border Batik Cotton

We enjoy designing batik fabric that has a twist or newness. I'm using the word "twist" to mean nuance or differentiator - not physical twist, which would be horrible. We also like to design fabric of the highest quality and more than one use. Cotton fabric can be used in quilting, garment sewing, accessories, and home decorating projects. Jersey Knit can be use in garment sewing, quilting, and home decorating projects. There's nothing more snuggable than a soft jersey knit pillow!

Our newest fabric - our 115" Wide Batik Cotton Double Border design - has a wonderful "twist" and it's definitely not just for beautiful quilt backings. 

Let's take a closer look at this fabric.

As you can see from the image above, the fabric is 115" wide from selvage edge to selvage edge. On each selvage edge is a border that measures 9 1/2" from the usable selvage edge to the line that separates the border design from the all-over Phoenix design that runs throughout the middle.

This fabric has so many possibilities besides the most traditional use which is quilt backing. This fabric design is available in 9 amazing shades. We know you will find a place in your home or your next quilt project for one of these beautiful fabrics. Let us know in the comment section below if there is a shade you just need to have that isn't in our color family!  We love to make what you want to use! 

Double Border Quilt Backing:

We often receive phone calls from customers who find the perfect fabric for their quilt, however, it's the Double Border 115" Wide Batik. We receive so many questions regarding how to use the fabric efficiently and effectively. Or the comment is that "we can't use this fabric because of the borders". Well...  let's take a little different view of the 115" Wide Batik with it's Borders. Here are a few thoughts to ponder...

  • The 115" Wide Batik is just that - 115" Wide Batik Cotton. It just simply has a fun and fancy design running along each selvage edge.
  • With the 115" wide width it will fit almost any quilt without piecing the quilt back.
  • Longarm quilters absolutely love one-piece quilt backs. No seams, no fuss. The backing still needs to be straight on grain, but that's easy to do with a 115" wide Batik Cotton.

"How do we use this fabric on the back of a quilt when the borders run along the selvage?"

First things first - When quilting on a quilting machine, mount the quilt backing with selvage edges running perpendicular to the rollers. It will be easy to know where you wish to place your quilt top when you can see the entire back of the quilt. 

    Smaller and medium sized quilts measuring 95" or narrower/smaller: 
    • Option 1:  Center the quilt top on the backing fabric.
    Mark the center back of your quilt top and quilt back.  Load the fabric on your machine and quilt your quilt just like any other quilt.
      
    The center motif of the quilt backing measures approximately 95" from border line to border line. Once your quilt has been quilted cut off the remaining fabric from the top and bottom of the quilt. Use this fabric for a future project. Use it for your binding, use the border for a matching pillow sham, or even add the border to the open edge of a matching pillow case. There is always a use for remaining fabric - even a border design.
    • Option 2:  Use the Border in the Backing of the Quilt.
    There are many times when adding a detail to the back of the quilt is extra special and oh-so-simple. I love going into a bedroom and turning down a quilt to see an added detail on the back. The backs of quilts should be as beautiful and thoughtful as the front.
     
    When planning the backing consider incorporating the border into the top of the back of the quilt. When you or your guest folds the quilt down they will see a beautiful added detail that is most likely unexpected. A smaller quilt, say lap size or twin size, will not have the border at the bottom (foot) of the quilt because the quilt is too short. That's fine. I don't see a lot of people folding up the foot of the quilt.
     
    When mounting the quilt on the longarm machine load the 115" wide quilt back with the border running perpendicular to the rollers. Position the quilt top directly along the left selvage edge of the backing. When quilted and bound the border will be running along the top edge of the quilt backing. How fun is that!!  You can then use the remaining border batik for another purpose.
     
    The left over fabric will definitely be enough for a matching pillow sham, pillow case, valance for the bedroom or another adjoining room, or simply perfect for your fabric stash! 
        Large quilts measuring 95" to 110" wide by 95" x 110" long: 
        • Plan for enough yardage to cover the entire back of your quilt. If you want a square piece of our 115" wide backing - make sure you order 3 1/4 yards. With a quilt that is larger than 95" the border design will be visible on the back of the quilt.
        • Decide where you wish to put the border portion of the design. Would you like the border design running along the sides of the quilt or the top and bottom of the quilt. Many quilts are not directional so this decision may not be necessary.
        • Regardless of how you load the quilt top, load the back with the border design perpendicular to the rollers on the machine. This is the easiest way to mark the center of the back to ensure that the top is centered on the back. Mark the center of the quilt top. Lay the quilt top on the back matching centers.

        Extra Large quilts with one side measuring in excess of 115" wide: 

        • Plan for enough yardage to cover the entire back of your quilt.  Measure the widest side of your quilt. Add 8" - 10" to that measurement. The resulting number of inches is the yardage that you need to purchase. Remember - this assumes that the "other" side of your quilt is less than 115" wide.
        • There is only one way to load the quilt top on the backing for a quilt with these dimensions. Load the back on the longarm machine with borders perpendicular to the rollers. You will still need to center the quilt top with the quilt back. It will be much easier when the top is almost the same dimensions as the quilt backing.

        Extra Large quilts that measures in excess of 115" on BOTH sides: 

        You will need to create a pieced back for your quilt top.
         
        There are many options for including this 115" wide Batik Cotton Border Design into a pieced quilt backing. It will actually turn into it's own reversible quilt if planned with that in mind. We could write an entire newsletter on options for piecing an extra large quilt backing with a border designed batik!  I'll stop here... 
         
         

        I think you see where I'm going with this. Never say never to using a border designed fabric as a quilt backing. Your design depends on your level of fussiness in a perfectly straight back or your time available to add and adjust the backing fabric to create your own personal design. 

        My personal opinion is that the quilt backing should be as beautiful as the quilt top. Each and every quilt can and should be reversible!

        Double Border Home Decorating Fun:

        This past year we have had the opportunity to work with our 115" Wide Batik Cotton Double Border Batik in new ways. I've incorporated this fabric into our own home decorating projects. You will find a few of our projects in our SewBatik HOME Collection on our website. We've made tablecloths, shower curtains, window treatments, aprons, oven mitts, Christmas tree skirts, and much much more. 

        This brings me to questions we have received which include:

        • What can we do with the 115" wide Double Border Batik if it's not a quilt backing? 
        • How can we use the beautiful border section for other purposes?
        • My small tablecloth takes so much fabric. What do we do with the left over fabric?  How can I justify the cost?

         

        Thanksgiving planning at our home included a new tablecloth. Our 115" wide Double Border in the shade of Early Autumn was perfect.

        I designed the tablecloth to showcase the border as the "drop" of the tablecloth - all the way around our oval table. The top of the table featured the center portion of the fabric design.

        I took the time to calculate the inches needed to border the entire tablecloth with the border design portion of the fabric. And, yes - the tablecloth requires 3 1/2 yards of 115" wide fabric. That's a lot of fabric for a tablecloth. This may be true, but look what else I made that I didn't have to purchase to match:

         

        We will be home for the Christmas Holiday this year and I just had to make a new Christmas tree skirt using the Azalea Black version of our 115" Wide Cotton Double Border. I Love It!

        I put my math hat on again and designed a 60" + tree skirt featuring the border as the ruffle around the outer edge. The center of the tree skirt is 43" allowing for 12" of border all the way around.

        I could have accomplished this look with a gathered ruffle, but I love the look of pleats. I added 3" pleats to the border before attaching it to the middle of the skirt. I finished off the center circle with bias binding that extends 12" past the circle opening and use the extra bias to tie the tree skirt closed.

        This tree skirt requires 2 2/3 yards of 115" wide Double Border. Again, this is a lot of extra fabric you may say. But, I made so many additional accessories to add to our holiday decorating.

        • 8 Dinner Napkins (adorned with white precut snowflakes)
        • Ruby's Star Table Runner for the kitchen table. (this required an additional 2 yards of a complementary batik to complete)
        • Couch Pillow for the Living Room
        • And a little fabric left over for a project I most certainly must have forgotten to make

         

         

        It was time for a new look in our guest bathroom and our 115" wide Double Border in the shade of Dusty Denim was calling my name.

        This project required 79" of our 115" wide Cotton Double Border. I designed the shower curtain to use one border design as the bottom and the other border design as a decorative accent at the top of the shower curtain.

        I have to say that there wasn't much fabric left over. There was just enough to make a matching window valance, a decorative wall hanging, and edging on a few hand towels.

         

        These three projects represent just the tip of the iceberg of the many design options that utilize the 115" wide Batik Cotton Double Border fabric.

        Remember three things... 

        • Disregard the width of the fabric when planning how you want to use fabric. Yes, it's 115" wide. But, it is 100% cotton just like the 45" wide traditional cotton fabric we quilters work with. It's far more economical to purchase 115" wide fabric than 45" wide fabric if you need more than one yard.
        • 115" wide Cotton Batik is not just for quilt backing.
        • Your imagination is unending. Put your design hat on and enjoy your creativity!
        Never Say Never!

         

        Happy Sewing - Sew & Share ~

        Diane, @ SewBatik

         

         

        Diane Magidson
        Posted on January 19, 2021
        Diane Magidson
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