Quilt math · Calculator
How much fabric do I need for a quilt?
Pick a size, a block and a layout. The calculator makes the quilt and works out the fabric to buy for each color, the way a cutting chart would.
The short answer
It depends on the blocks, but as a guide: a 60″ × 72″ Nine Patch throw takes 4½ yd for the top and binding, plus 4½ yd for the backing. A 92″ × 92″ queen takes 8⅜ yd for the top and binding, and 8⅜ yd for the backing. Choose your own size, block and layout below.
Work out yours
Free · no accountYour quilt: 60″ × 72″
20 Nine Patch blocks, 12″, 4 across × 5 down
| Fabric | Used for | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Background Snow | Nine Patch | 1¼ yd |
| Dark Navy | Nine Patch · Border 1 · Binding | 3¼ yd |
| Top and binding | Everything above | 4½ yd |
Make it yours: any of the library’s blocks, your own fabrics, any size. Quarter Inch keeps the yardage right as you change it.
Start this quiltSame sums as the app’s Yardage: @quarterinch/quilt-edit, newQuilt · @quarterinch/cutting, cuttingPlan · up to the next ⅛ yd, with a little to spare
Fabric by quilt size
For a Nine Patch quilt of 12″ blocks set side by side with a plain border, in 42″ fabric. The top and binding are every fabric together; buy each one as the calculator lists it.
| Quilt | Blocks | Top and binding | Backing | Binding strips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crib 36″ × 48″ | 2 × 3 | 2¼ yd | 2½ yd | 5 |
| Throw 60″ × 72″ | 4 × 5 | 4½ yd | 4½ yd | 7 |
| Twin 66″ × 90″ | 5 × 7 | 6¼ yd | 5½ yd | 9 |
| Queen 92″ × 92″ | 7 × 7 | 8⅜ yd | 8⅜ yd | 10 |
| King 108″ × 108″ | 8 × 8 | 11⅛ yd | 9¾ yd | 12 |
Busier blocks take more: a Sawtooth Star queen takes 9⅞ yd for the top and binding, against 8⅜ yd for the Nine Patch, because every extra seam uses a little fabric.
Whole blocks don’t always land on a bed size exactly, so each quilt is made the way Quarter Inch’s Resize to… makes it: the nearest count of blocks, with the border widened or narrowed to come close. That’s why the queen is 92″ × 92″ here, against the 90″ × 96″ of the size chart.
How it’s worked out
The calculator makes the whole quilt, block by block, and cuts it the way you would: every piece at its finished size plus ½″ for the seams, cut from strips across the width of the fabric. Then it adds up the strips for each fabric. Here’s the background of the 60″ × 72″ Nine Patch throw:
| 9 strips 4½″ × WOF | 40½″ |
|---|---|
| A little extra, to straighten and for shrinking (a strip’s width, at least 3″) | 4½″ |
| In all | 45″ |
| 45″ ÷ 4½″ = 10.00 eighths of a yard | 1¼ yd |
An eighth of a yard is 4½″, so yardage goes up in 4½″ steps. Each fabric is rounded up on its own, which is why the total is a little more than one big sum would be.
What changes the answer
- The width of your fabric. Narrower fabric means more strips. Width of fabric explained.
- Pre-washing. Washed fabric is shorter and narrower. How much extra to buy.
- A print with a right way up. Pieces that must all stand the same way can’t always be turned to fit, so they take more. See directional prints.
- Precuts. Cutting from fat quarters or jelly rolls is counted differently: how many fat quarters for a quilt.
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
How much fabric do I need for a queen quilt?
For a 92″ × 92″ Nine Patch queen, about 8⅜ yd for the top and binding and 8⅜ yd for the backing. Busier blocks take more.
How much fabric do I need for a throw quilt?
For a 60″ × 72″ Nine Patch throw, 4½ yd for the top and binding and 4½ yd for the backing.
Should I buy extra fabric?
A little: the calculator already adds a strip’s width to each fabric for straightening and shrinking. Buy more if you’ll pre-wash, or fussy cut a print.
How do I work out yardage for my own pattern?
Count the strips each fabric needs, add their widths, add a little extra, and divide by 4½″ for eighths of a yard. Or design it in Quarter Inch and it’s done for you.