Quilt Yardage Chart by Size
How much fabric do you need for a quilt? This chart breaks down yardage for the top, backing, and binding, from baby quilts to king size.
Quilt Fabric Requirements by Size
Based on 42-inch wide quilting cotton. Top fabric totals assume a single colour; for multi-fabric quilts, divide the top yardage by your number of colours. For a per-colour breakdown, try the patchwork yardage tool.
| Size | Dimensions | Top Fabric | Backing | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | 36″ × 52″ | 1.5–2 yd | 1.75 yd | 0.5 yd |
| Throw | 50″ × 65″ | 3–4 yd | 3.5 yd | 0.5 yd |
| Twin | 60″ × 80″ | 4–5.5 yd | 5 yd | 0.75 yd |
| Full | 80″ × 90″ | 6–7.5 yd | 7.5 yd | 0.75 yd |
| Queen | 90″ × 108″ | 7.5–10 yd | 8 yd | 0.75 yd |
| King | 108″ × 108″ | 10–13 yd | 9.5 yd | 1 yd |
Standard Quilt Sizes Explained
Baby (36" × 52"): fits a crib or makes a tummy-time mat. The smallest and fastest quilt to make. Great for beginners.
Throw (50" × 65"): perfect for couch use or a lap quilt. The most popular gift size.
Twin (60" × 80"): fits a twin bed with minimal overhang. Add 12–16 inches per side if you want a drop over the mattress edges.
Full/Double (80" × 90"): fits a full-size bed. Consider adding extra width for pillow tuck.
Queen (90" × 108"): fits a queen bed with a generous drop. This is the most common bed-quilt size.
King (108" × 108"): fits a king bed. Backing requires three widths of 42-inch fabric or a single width of 108-inch wide-back fabric.
Backing Fabric Guide
Quilt backing should be at least 4 inches larger than the quilt top on all sides (8 inches total added to both width and length). This gives your longarm quilter or quilting frame enough fabric to clamp.
For quilts wider than 42 inches (everything above a baby quilt), you will need to seam two or more widths of standard quilting cotton together. The alternative is to buy 108-inch wide-back fabric, which eliminates the seam but costs more per yard and comes in fewer prints.
The backing yardage in the chart above assumes standard 42-inch cotton with seaming where needed.
Binding Fabric Guide
Binding wraps the raw edges of your quilt. The standard method uses 2.5-inch strips cut on the straight grain from 42-inch fabric.
Formula: Add the quilt’s perimeter plus 20 extra inches for corners and joining. Divide by the usable strip width (about 40 inches after trimming selvages). Multiply by 2.5 inches (strip width) and divide by 36 to convert to yards.
For most quilts, binding uses 0.5–1 yard of fabric. The chart above includes this in the binding column.
Fat Quarters vs. Yardage
A fat quarter measures 18" × 22" and equals roughly 0.25 yards of fabric but in a more usable shape. Four fat quarters give you approximately 1 yard of fabric, though with less usable width for large pieces.
Fat quarters work well for scrappy quilts with many different fabrics. For quilts using just 2–4 fabrics, buying yardage is more efficient and gives you flexibility for larger cuts.
Pairing the quilt with matching shams or curtains? You can start a combined plan on the home page so every piece orders from the same dye lot.