Quilt backing calculator
Work out how much backing fabric to buy, with a cutting layout for each seam direction.
Calculate backing fabric →THE QUILTING WORKROOM
Free quilting calculators.
Plan backing, binding and borders, or compare backing purchase costs. Work in inches or centimetres and print your plan. The three fabric estimators also let you save measurements on this device.
Quilt binding calculator
Calculate straight-grain binding strips and fabric yardage for your quilt.
Calculate binding fabric →Quilt border calculator
Calculate fabric for one straight, butt-joined border around your quilt.
Calculate border fabric →Backing cost calculator
Compare two fabrics by rounded purchase cost, check your existing fabric and find the break-even price.
Compare fabric costs →START WITH THE MEASUREMENTSChoose the fabric
Choose the fabric
you are planning.
Measure your quilt and fabric
Measure the quilt top in more than one place and enter the usable fabric width between the selvages. Each calculator explains the seam allowances it uses.
Check what the estimate includes
Backing compares two panel directions. Binding plans straight-grain strips. Borders use one butt-joined frame. Shrinkage and pattern matching need a separate allowance.
Read the fabric calculation methods →Need a quilt backing chart?
Compare backing yardage for six quilt-size examples, from baby to king. See the panel cuts and the difference between standard-width and wide fabric, with the allowances shown.
Planning with wide backing?
See how much 108-inch quilt backing to buy, with a queen-size project example, a yardage comparison and a check for directional prints.
How much fabric do I need for binding?
Use the quilt binding chart and calculator to compare 2¼- and 2½-inch strips for six measured quilt-size examples. The binding calculation steps explain perimeter, diagonal joins and purchase rounding.
Which calculator should I use?
Use the backing yardage calculator for the fabric behind your quilt, including extra around the edges. Use the binding strip calculator for the narrow strips that finish its perimeter. Use the border fabric calculator to add a frame to the quilt top before quilting.
Use the backing cost calculator to compare two fabrics, check the length you already have and print a shopping comparison.
Each tool includes a worked example so you can follow the arithmetic. These estimates are a starting point: check your pattern and your quilter’s requirements before buying or cutting.