02 / FINISH THE EDGES
Quilt binding calculator.
Calculate straight-grain quilt binding strips and fabric yardage, including join loss and your finishing allowance.
Your measurements
A little room to be sure: check the measurements and assumptions before buying or cutting.
Whole-project shopping list Backing, binding & batting together
Edit backing, binding & batting settings
Review both tools’ settings, including any defaults. Edit backing & batting · Edit binding
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THE MATH, UNPACKED
A clean edge starts
with enough binding.
Binding is the long fabric strip wrapped around the outer edge of the quilt sandwich. This calculator plans straight-grain strips, including length used by joins and the final closing allowance.
Read the full method →How is the fabric calculated?
We add the finishing allowance to twice the quilt width plus twice the length. A diagonal join loses one cut strip width per join; a straight join loses two seam allowances. We find the smallest whole strip count that covers the required length, then multiply by the cut strip width.
A 60 × 80 inch example
For a 60 × 80 inch quilt, the perimeter is 280 inches. Add 12 inches to finish. With 42-inch strips cut 2 1/2 inches wide and diagonal joins, you need 8 strips. Cut 20 inches along the bolt; rounded up to the next 1/8 yard, buy 5/8 yard.
What is outside this estimate?
Bias-cut binding, curved quilts, flange binding, fabric shrinkage and damaged sections are not included. The finishing allowance is separate from join loss, so you can adjust it without counting the same loss twice.
QUILT PARTS, AT A GLANCE
Where the binding goes.
The quilt top is the visible pieced layer, batting adds loft in the middle, backing covers the reverse, and binding wraps the outside edge.
How many binding strips should I cut?
Compare these example sizes, then calculate with your measured quilt top and your own allowances.
↔ Swipe or scroll sideways to compare all columns.
| Example quilt top | 2¼ in strips | 2½ in strips |
|---|---|---|
| Crib · 36 × 52 in | 5 strips · 3/8 yd | 5 strips · 3/8 yd |
| Throw · 50 × 60 in | 6 strips · 3/8 yd | 6 strips · 1/2 yd |
| Twin · 70 × 90 in | 9 strips · 5/8 yd | 9 strips · 5/8 yd |
| Queen · 90 × 100 in | 10 strips · 5/8 yd | 10 strips · 3/4 yd |
| King · 108 × 108 in | 12 strips · 3/4 yd | 12 strips · 7/8 yd |
Assumes 42 in usable strip length, diagonal joins that lose one strip width each, and 12 in finishing allowance. Widths are measured before folding. These figures apply to straight-grain strips only. Purchases round up to the next ⅛ yd. Sizes are examples, not bed-size standards. Shrinkage, print matching and additional squaring waste are excluded.
Choose a cut width before buying
2¼ in and 2½ in are cut strip widths, not finished visible binding widths. Batting thickness, attachment seam and finishing method affect the fit. Test a short strip on a scrap quilt sandwich.
Diagonal joins do not make bias binding
This calculator joins straight-grain strips. Bias binding is cut diagonally across the fabric grain and needs a different cutting layout; its yardage cannot be read from this table.
See a complete illustrated quilt-finishing example →