Choose your quilt size (or enter a custom size) and your strip width. The calculator tells you how many strips to cut across the width of fabric and how much fabric to buy for the binding.
A queen quilt (90 × 95 in) has a 370-inch perimeter. With 2.5" double-fold binding you need 10 strips cut across the width of fabric, about 0.75 yards of fabric.
Assumes 42" of usable width on 44/45" quilting cotton (40" for binding strips after seams), 106" usable on 108" wide backing, and 10" extra binding for corners and joining. Fabric amounts are rounded up to the next 1/8 yard (0.1 m).
Binding strips and fabric by quilt size
Based on 2.5″ double-fold binding, strips cut selvage to selvage, and 10″ extra for mitered corners and joining the ends.
| Quilt size | Perimeter | Strips (2.5″) | Fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crib (45 × 60 in) | 210 in | 6 | 1/2 yd |
| Throw (50 × 60 in) | 220 in | 6 | 1/2 yd |
| Twin (66 × 90 in) | 312 in | 9 | 5/8 yd |
| Full (80 × 90 in) | 340 in | 9 | 5/8 yd |
| Queen (90 × 95 in) | 370 in | 10 | 3/4 yd |
| King (108 × 95 in) | 406 in | 11 | 7/8 yd |
| California King (104 × 108 in) | 424 in | 11 | 7/8 yd |
How the binding calculation works
Binding has to go all the way around the quilt, so the starting point is the perimeter: 2 × (width + length). The calculator adds 10″ so you have enough for the four mitered corners and the final join.
A strip cut across 44/45″ fabric gives roughly 40″ of usable length once the selvages are trimmed and the strips are joined with diagonal seams. Dividing the total binding length by 40 and rounding up gives the number of strips. Multiply by the strip width to get the fabric, rounded up to the next 1/8 yard.
Which strip width should I use?
2.5″ double-fold binding is the most common choice and suits the usual cotton batting. Many quilters prefer 2.25″ for a narrower, tighter finish on thin batting, and some go up to 2.75″ for thick or wool batting. Change the strip width in the calculator to see how it affects the fabric amount.
Plan the rest of the quilt
If you are still buying fabric, use the quilt backing calculator to get the backing yardage and seam layout, and the batting calculator to find which packaged batt fits. For knitted or crocheted blankets, try the yarn calculator.