Best Practices: Backing and Finishing Artwork 

I'm a bit slow on the response track right now, but thanks Louise! Happy to share my ideas - everyone should benefit if an idea turns out to be a good one!

You are so welcome!

The only thing you did NOT show is--what to do if you mess up, and get wrinkles...

Thanks, Tracy Thomas! It's important to keep everything as accessible as possible IMO.

Glad you saw it and it seemed worthy. Please tell Judy C I think of her so fondly!!!

Hi Colleen! Always assemble the fabric and felt sandwich before doing the quilting.

If there piece isn't going to get any wear and tear, the edges are fine as they are - once trimmed.

As long as the surface you are using for ironing is padded it isn't a problem at all, Portia.

Hi Tracy, I buy the aluminum slats at Lowe's or Home Depot.

@@BothThingsCreative thanks! I've started using your backing method on my "TheGurls" art quilts and I LOVE it, easy to ship and hang. It's about time the hang was revisted :) I'm a huge fan of your work

This is the last step, after quilting and finishing edges, whether you bind or clean cut them.

HI Denise, I have entered pieces with this system and it has always been accepted, but for a really traditional show (which isn't usually where I show my work) it might not be a good idea. In that case, you could always sew a traditional sleeve on the back by hand, so it could be removed later.

Hi Diane, I use a hacksaw.

NO loft the way a really fluffy batting would do and no the Misty Fuse is great because it DOESN'T gum up the needle at all.

You could but you'd have to careful because if the whole piece isn't fused together you might have issue with it hanging straight.

HI Cheryl, Thanks for commenting. The slats are usually located where the metal for fabricating is - slats, flat pieces etc. It's also usually near the rope, in case your sales person doesn't seem to know what you are looking for!

You are right, Dorothy. This method eliminates batting. Many contemporary quilt shows don't require three layers, but if you wanted to enter a show that did, you could still follow through with this system and then add a light cotton fabric as the backing. I have also quilted through all three layers in the sort of sandwich I am describing. I just use three layers myself because I don't enter traditional shows...

Hi Dorothy. A belated reply but yes, I consider the felt both "batting" and also backing and in most quilt shows that are NOT traditional shows, this is acceptable.

Hi Kat, thanks for your questions! Yes, you can fuse thin papers to felt, and for that matter you can also fuse them to non-woven interfacings like Pellon (in the US) to stabilize them. I think the best dry adhesive to use is a fusible web that is heat activated. It melts (use an iron) and bonds the two surfaces together...I prefer the brand MistyFuse in the US because it is thin and flexible and you can sew through it if that's part of your process. My other preferred adhesive is a glue stick, and you might be surprised how well it works on fabrics, paper to wood, and other substrates. I also use fusible web to bond two sheets of thin paper together - like rice papers - and it works out beautifully. Hope this helps. And of course some of this was shown in the video...

thank you! I printed out your reply, put it into my technique stash of ideas file. I do not wish to distress you but I make more like H.I. Geiger. Have wanted to do away with picture framing, just hand the pieces, but I hate attaching wood weights to them and adhering them to stronger paper. I want to thank you very much for your reply.

Hi Gwendolyn, sorry for the delay in responding. We've had some family issues, but yes, this method would work for you, and yes, I would apply the felt after the stitching is completed, although it's also really easy to stitch through linen already attached to the felt!