How much fabric do I need for a quilt?

How much fabric you need for a quilt depends on its finished size and on your pattern for the top. The backing and binding can be calculated from the finished size, the usable width of your fabric and the extra backing you want. For example, a 60" x 72" lap quilt made of 6" squares needs 3 5/8 yards for the top, 3 7/8 yards of 42" cotton for the backing and 1/2 yard for binding: 8 yards in all.

Most patterns list fabric for the top only. The backing, binding and any borders are up to you, and on a bed-size quilt they can add up to more than the top itself. Work out every part before you shop and you only buy once.

Total fabric for a simple quilt of 6" squares

These totals are for a quilt made entirely of 6" finished squares (48, 120, 270 and 324 squares), with no borders, so you can see how the parts add up. Your own pattern will need its own numbers for the top, but the backing and binding stay the same for the same finished size.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Backing is 42" cotton. The last column uses 108" wideback for the backing instead.

These totals are the calculated yardage, before any safety buffer. A common rule of thumb is to buy 10% to 15% extra to allow for prewashing, directional prints, fussy cutting and the odd mistake. Add that extra to each fabric on its own, not as a percentage of the whole total.

Backing and binding yardage by quilt size

The table covers six common finished sizes, measured with any borders already sewn on. Cotton is counted at 42" of usable width (WOF, the width you can actually cut between the two selvages) and 108" wideback at 104". Every backing has 4" extra on each side, and every amount is rounded up to the next 1/8 yard.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Panels are the cotton pieces to cut and how long each one is. Binding uses 2 1/2" strips. The king is too big for one piece of wideback, so its 6 1/2 yards are two lengths joined.

The top isn't in the table because it changes with the design. A whole-cloth top is one piece of fabric, while a design with hundreds of small patches uses far more, much of it hidden in seam allowances. The strip method further down works for each fabric and cut size in your pattern's cutting list. For complex blocks, half-square triangles, directional prints or odd-shaped pieces, follow the cutting instructions in your pattern.

Start with the finished size

A throw or baby quilt can be whatever size suits you. A bed quilt has to cover the mattress and hang over the edge. The part that hangs over the sides and foot is the drop, and the extra length that folds over the pillows is the pillow tuck:

• Quilt width = mattress width + 2 x drop
• Quilt length = mattress length + drop + pillow tuck

With a 12" drop and a 10" pillow tuck (a 4" drop and no tuck for a crib), the common bed sizes work out like this:

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

These are the finished sizes for each bed. The yardage tables above use common quilt sizes instead, so always work out fabric from your own finished measurements.

Deep and pillow-top mattresses need a longer drop, so measure from the top of the mattress to where you want the quilt to stop. If the quilt will be washed in warm water, add 3% to 5% for shrinkage. The Quilt Size Chart and Calculator does this for any mattress and drop.

How to calculate fabric for a quilt, part by part

Plan four kinds of fabric: the top, any borders, the backing and the binding. Batting goes in the middle, and it's sold in packages or cut from a roll rather than bought like quilting cotton.

The quilt top

It's tempting to add up the area of every patch and divide by 1,296, the number of square inches in a square yard. That comes up short for two reasons. You cut fabric in strips across its width, and the piece left at the end of each strip is often too small to use. And every patch carries a 1/4" seam allowance on each side. A square that finishes at 2" is cut at 2 1/2", so it uses 6.25 square inches of fabric to show 4. That's 56% more fabric than you see in the finished quilt.

Work from strips instead, one fabric at a time, using your pattern's cutting list:

1. Add 1/2" to the finished width and length of each patch to get its cut size.
2. Divide 42 by the cut width and round down. That's how many patches one strip gives you.
3. Divide the number of patches you need by that figure, and round up to whole strips.
4. Multiply the number of strips by the strip depth (the patch's other cut measurement), divide by 36 and round up to the next 1/8 yard.

A common rule of thumb is to add 10% to 15% on top for squaring up the ends, a miscut or two, and shrinkage.

Worked example: a 60" x 72" lap quilt of 6" squares

The quilt is 10 squares across and 12 down, so it needs 120 squares.

• Cut size: 6 1/2" square.
• Squares per strip: 42 divided by 6.5 is 6.46, so 6.
• Strips: 120 divided by 6 is 20.
• Fabric: 20 strips x 6 1/2" = 130". 130 divided by 36 is 3.61 yards, which rounds up to 3 5/8 yards (4 yards with a 10% buffer on the top fabric).

Add 3 7/8 yards of backing and 1/2 yard of binding from the table, and the whole quilt needs 8 yards of fabric, or 8 3/8 yards with the buffer on the top. The backing and binding already include their own extra: 4" on every side of the backing and 12" of binding.

Half-square triangles

Half-square triangles (HSTs) are squares made from two triangles sewn along the diagonal. The starting squares are cut a little large, and each finished unit is trimmed square, which also tidies up the bias edges (the stretchy edges cut across the grain). Starting square sizes, rounded up to the next 1/8":

• 2 at a time: finished size + 7/8"
• 4 at a time: (finished size + 1/2") x 1.414 + 3/4"
• Magic 8: (finished size + 7/8") x 2

Every HST is trimmed to its finished size + 1/2". For 48 HSTs that finish at 3", cut from 42" cotton:

• Magic 8: 6 pairs of 7 3/4" squares from 2 strips of each fabric, 1/2 yard of each.
• 2 at a time: 24 pairs of 3 7/8" squares from 3 strips of each fabric, 3/8 yard of each.
• 4 at a time: 12 pairs of 5 3/4" squares from 2 strips of each fabric, 3/8 yard of each.

The Half-Square Triangle Calculator works this out for any size, and our guide to Magic 8 half-square triangles shows the method step by step.

Borders

A border frames the center and makes the quilt bigger: a 4" finished border adds 8" to both the width and the length. Cut border strips 1/2" wider than they will finish, so 4 1/2" for a 4" border.

With butted corners, the side borders are as long as the quilt center, and the top and bottom borders are the center width plus two border widths. Those lengths are longer than 42", so strips are joined end to end. For one 4" butted border:

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Measure the center in three places across the middle and use the average, not the edge measurement. Edges stretch while you piece, and a border cut to fit a stretched edge comes out wavy. Pin each border at the ends and the middle, then ease in any fullness. For two or three borders, or mitered corners, use the Quilt Border Calculator.

Backing

The backing has to be bigger than the top: 4" extra on every side, so 8" added to the width and the length. A 60" x 72" top needs a backing at least 68" x 80". The margin gives a longarm's clamps something to hold, and it covers the way the layers draw in as you quilt. If you send your quilts out, ask your longarm quilter how much extra they want.

Cotton panels are joined with a 1/2" seam, pressed open, and each seam uses 1" of width. The direction of the seams can change how much you buy:

• A 70" x 90" twin needs a 78" x 98" backing. Two panels 98" long, seamed down the length, give 83" of width and use 5 1/2 yards. Three panels 78" long, seamed across, would take 6 1/2 yards.
• A 90" x 108" queen needs a 98" x 116" backing, and it takes three panels either way. Seamed across, the panels are 98" long and use 8 1/4 yards (3 x 98" = 294"). Seamed down the length, they are 116" long and use 9 3/4 yards (3 x 116" = 348"). Running the seams across saves 1 1/2 yards.

Wideback skips the seams. Its 104" of usable width covers a backing in one piece as long as one side of the quilt is 96" or less. The queen above needs a single 116" length, which is 3 1/4 yards instead of 8 1/4 yards of cotton. A 108" x 108" king is too big on both sides, so even wideback needs two lengths joined: 6 1/2 yards.

The Quilt Backing Calculator compares the layouts for your size, and How to Piece a Quilt Backing covers the sewing.

Binding

Most quilts are finished with double-fold binding: strips folded in half lengthwise, sewn to the front and turned to the back. Work out the length first:

• Perimeter = 2 x (width + length)
• Binding to make = perimeter + 12"

The extra 12" covers the corners and joining the two ends.

Strips are joined with diagonal seams, and each join uses about one strip width, which is why simply dividing by 42 comes up short. A 90" x 108" queen needs 408" of binding. Ten 2 1/2" strips are 420" laid end to end, but nine joins use 22 1/2", leaving 397 1/2". It takes 11 strips, or 7/8 yard. The table at the top already allows for the joins.

Strips cut 2 1/2" wide are the usual choice, and 2 1/4" gives a slightly narrower, flatter binding. Straight-grain strips cut across the fabric suit straight edges. For curved or scalloped edges, use continuous bias binding, which bends around curves.

For your own size and strip width, use the Quilt Binding Calculator, and see How to Bind a Quilt for the sewing.

Batting

Batting follows the same rule as the backing: 4" larger than the top on every side. Some longarm quilters want 6", and some prefer to supply the batting from their own rolls, so ask first.

Packaged batting comes in sizes such as crib 45" x 60", twin 72" x 90", full 81" x 96", queen 90" x 108" and king 120" x 124". Sizes vary by brand, so check the label. Watch out with twin quilts: a 70" x 90" top needs batting at least 78" x 98". A twin package is too narrow and a full package is 2" too short, so buy a queen package or a cut from a roll.

Cotton batting shrinks. Warm & Natural from The Warm Company shrinks about 3% in cold water and about 5% in warm water, which gives the soft, crinkled look of an antique quilt. Cotton and polyester blends, such as 80/20, shrink less.

Why it pays to round up

Calculated yardage is a starting point. In practice, the real width of your fabric, shrinkage and cutting waste all change how much you use, and a little extra, often 10% to 15%, saves a second trip to the shop:

• Cotton shrinks when it's prewashed. At 3% to 5%, a 36" yard can lose between 1" and almost 2" of length.
• Fabric is rarely cut perfectly straight at the counter, and squaring up the ends takes some of it.
• Rulers slip. With a spare strip, a miscut costs you a minute instead of a trip.
• One-way prints can't be turned to fit an extra piece, and fussy cutting a motif leaves fabric around every cut.
• Dye lots vary, so fabric bought weeks later may not quite match.

Rounding up to the next 1/8 or 1/4 yard costs very little next to the hours that go into a quilt.

Mistakes that leave quilters short

• Working from square inches. Area math ignores strip leftovers and seam allowances. Work from strips.
• Counting the full bolt width. A bolt marked 44" or 45" includes the selvages. Plan on 42", or 40" if the fabric runs narrow.
• Buying backing the same size as the top. Without 4" on every side, a longarm has nothing to clamp, and the back can end up short.
• Leaving selvages in the seams. Selvages are woven tighter than the rest of the fabric and can pucker after washing. Trim them off first.
• Shopping for the top only. On bed quilts, the backing, binding and borders can add up to more than the top.

How much fabric do I need for a quilt? Common questions

How much fabric do I need in total for a queen-size quilt?

It depends on the pattern for the top. A 90" x 108" queen quilt made of 6" finished squares needs 8 1/8 yards for the top, 8 1/4 yards of 42" cotton for the backing and 7/8 yard for binding: 17 1/4 yards in all. Using 3 1/4 yards of 108" wideback for the backing brings that down to 12 1/4 yards.

How much fabric do I need for a baby quilt?

A 36" x 48" baby quilt made of 6" finished squares needs 1 1/2 yards for the top, 2 1/2 yards of 42" cotton for the backing and 3/8 yard for binding: 4 3/8 yards in all. With 1 1/4 yards of 108" wideback for the backing instead, it is 3 1/8 yards.

Why can't I work out yardage by dividing square inches by 1,296?

Because fabric is cut in strips across a fixed 42" usable width. Dividing the total area by 1,296 ignores the leftover at the end of each strip and the fabric hidden in 1/4" seam allowances, so you end up short.

How much extra fabric should I buy?

A common rule of thumb is 10% to 15% more than your exact cutting needs, or rounding each fabric up to the next 1/4 yard. That covers prewash shrinkage, squaring up the ends and the occasional miscut.

How much bigger should the backing be than the quilt top?

At least 4" bigger on every side, which adds 8" to both the width and the length. The extra gives longarm clamps something to hold and keeps the backing from coming up short as the quilting draws the layers in.

How much fabric do I need for quilt binding?

With 2 1/2" strips cut from 42" cotton: 3/8 yard for a 36" x 48" baby quilt, 1/2 yard for a throw or lap quilt, 5/8 yard for a 70" x 90" twin and 7/8 yard for a queen or king. These amounts include 12" extra and the fabric used by diagonal joins.

How much fabric does 108" wideback save?

On a 90" x 108" queen, one 116" length of 108" wideback (3 1/4 yards) replaces 8 1/4 yards of 42" cotton, which saves 5 yards and every backing seam. It works in one piece as long as one side of the quilt is 96" or less.

What is the usable width of quilting cotton?

Quilting cotton is usually sold 44" or 45" wide, but once the selvages are trimmed you can count on about 42". This is called the width of fabric, or WOF. If your fabric runs narrow or shrinks in the wash, plan on 40".

Before you shop, measure the finished top through the middle, since a pieced top can finish a little smaller than the pattern says. Then check the fit on the bed with the Quilt Size Chart and get the exact panel layout from the Quilt Backing Calculator.

Every figure in this guide comes from QuiltHelper's calculators, which round fabric up and are tested against hand-worked examples. You can read how we check the math.