Quilt math · Calculator
Batting sizes for every quilt
Which size of batting to buy for your quilt, as a package or off the roll. Batting is the backing’s size, so the package often has a bigger bed’s name.
The short answer
Buy batting 4″ bigger than the quilt top on every side, the same as the backing. For a 90″ × 96″ queen that’s 98″ × 104″: a King package (120″ × 120″).
Work out yours
Free · no accountBatting to cover: 98″ × 104″
Quilt top 90″ × 96″ + 4″ on every side
120″ × 120″. A queen (90″ × 108″) is too small.
A piece 98″ long, up to the next ⅛ yd.
90″ and 96″ rolls are too narrow for 98″ × 104″ in one piece.
Quarter Inch works out the batting with the backing and binding for every quilt you design.
Start a 90″ × 96″ quiltSame sums as the app: @quarterinch/cutting, battingOf · the backing’s size · up to the next ⅛ yd
Batting package sizes
Batting is sold folded in packages named for the bed they suit, and by the yard off wide rolls (90″, 96″, 120″). These are the usual package sizes. Makers vary by a few inches, so check the package before you buy.
| Package | Size |
|---|---|
| Crib | 45″ × 60″ |
| Throw | 60″ × 60″ |
| Twin | 72″ × 90″ |
| Full | 81″ × 96″ |
| Queen | 90″ × 108″ |
| King | 120″ × 120″ |
Batting for every bed size
The batting is the backing’s size: the quilt top with 4″ more on every side. Here’s each of our bed sizes, with the package that covers it.
| Quilt top | Batting to cover | Package | 90″ roll | 96″ roll | 120″ roll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crib 36″ × 48″ | 44″ × 56″ | Crib | 1¼ yd | 1¼ yd | 1¼ yd |
| Throw 60″ × 72″ | 68″ × 80″ | Twin | 2 yd | 2 yd | 2 yd |
| Twin 66″ × 90″ | 74″ × 98″ | Queen | 2¾ yd | 2¾ yd | 2⅛ yd |
| Queen 90″ × 96″ | 98″ × 104″ | King | Too narrow | Too narrow | 2¾ yd |
| King 108″ × 108″ | 116″ × 116″ | King | Too narrow | Too narrow | 3¼ yd |
Notice the names don’t always match: a throw top needs a twin package, and a queen top (98″ × 104″ of batting) needs a king, because a queen package is only 90″ × 108″.
How it’s worked out
- Add 4″ to every side of the quilt top, as for the backing. It leaves room to baste and quilt, and for the quilting to draw the layers in.
- Find the smallest package that covers that size, either way around.
- Off a roll, cut the shorter side when the longer one fits across the roll, else the longer side, rounded up to the next ⅛ yd.
What changes the answer
- Your quilter. A longarm quilter may want more than 4″ on every side, for the batting as for the backing. See the backing calculator.
- Shrinking. Cotton batting can shrink when the finished quilt is washed, which gives the crinkled look many quilters like. The package says how much, and whether to pre-wash. More in shrinkage and pre-washing.
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size batting do I need for a queen quilt?
For a 90″ × 96″ queen top, batting 98″ × 104″: a King package. Sizes vary by maker, so check the package.
How much bigger than the quilt top should batting be?
4″ on every side, the same as the backing. Ask a longarm quilter what they need: some want more.
Is it cheaper to buy batting by the yard?
Often, for big quilts, and you can cut exactly what you need. Rolls are 90″, 96″, 120″ wide; the calculator gives the length off each.
Can I join two pieces of batting?
Yes. Butt the edges together without overlapping and whipstitch them by hand, or use a fusible batting tape.