BUY WITH A PLAN

Quilt backing cost calculator.

Compare two fabrics by the amount you actually need to buy. Check your existing fabric and print a shopping plan.

Your quilt and shopping units

Measurement unitsShopping unitsPrices, store increments and available lengths use this unit. Changing it converts the existing values and preserves the same physical purchase increment. Enter your new store’s increment if different.

Quilt widthRange: 1–500.Quilt lengthRange: 1–500.Extra on each sideRange: 0–50.Seam allowanceRange: 0.125–5.

Measure between the selvages. Check the extra backing and seam direction your quilter requires. Use the same currency for both prices. Totals round to two decimal places.

Fabric A

Usable widthRange: 2–500.Price per shopping unitRange: 0–10000.Store sells in multiples ofRange: 0.01–10.Length already availableOptional: one continuous piece, not scraps.

Fabric orientationChoose the direction your print and quilter require.

Fabric B

Usable widthRange: 2–500.Price per shopping unitRange: 0–10000.Store sells in multiples ofRange: 0.01–10.Length already availableOptional: one continuous piece, not scraps.

Fabric orientationChoose the direction your print and quilter require.

Enable JavaScript to compare your own fabrics. A complete worked example is below.

Planning estimate. Confirm usable width, print direction, prices and store cutting increments before buying. Terms of use.

Is wide backing really cheaper?

The price per yard alone does not answer that question. A wider fabric may need fewer panels, so compare the rounded purchase quantities multiplied by their prices.

A 60 × 80 inch quilt: $60 versus $48

Add 4 inches to every side for a 68 × 88 inch backing target, using a ½-inch seam allowance. A fabric with 42 inches of usable width needs two 88-inch-long panels. That is 176 inches, rounded to 5 yards when sold in eighth-yard increments. At $12 per yard, it costs $60.

A fabric with 106 inches of usable width can cover the 88-inch dimension without a seam. If its orientation allows it, buy a 68-inch length, rounded to 2 yards. At $24 per yard, it costs $48: $12 less. Its break-even price is $30 per yard for that purchase quantity.

If the wide fabric must run along the quilt length, the cut instead needs 88 inches: 2½ yards, costing $60 at $24 per yard. That is why orientation matters.

What the comparison includes

Full-width rectangular panels, with the width lost at every joining seam.
Each fabric’s own purchase increment: enter 0.125 for eighth yards, 0.25 for quarter units, or your store’s increment.
A separate check against a continuous length you already own. This compares the actual cut length, before shopping rounding.

The stock check covers only the supported panel layout. It does not search every possible way to reuse scraps. Prices compare purchasing all the fabric; existing stock is not deducted from the cost. Currency exchange, tax, shipping, minimum order quantities, shrinkage, print matching and cutting errors are excluded.

Use your fabric’s usable dimensions after any preparation. For a piece with the wrong print direction, change the orientation before relying on the stock check.

Inputs are calculated in this browser and are not saved by this tool. Print the comparison if you want to keep it.

Explore the backing cutting layout, our 108-inch backing guide and the calculation methods.