Quilt binding calculator.
Free calculator for straight-grain quilt binding. Enter your quilt size and strip width to find the strip count and fabric yardage, including diagonal joins.
Your measurements
The worked example below explains a complete fabric estimate. Enable JavaScript to calculate with your own measurements.
Planning estimate. Check measurements before buying or cutting. Terms of use.
A useful estimate.
A considered cut.
Start with usable width
Fabric labels may include the selvages. Enter the width you can actually use, and measure your quilt in more than one place.
Leave room for your process
Estimates exclude shrinkage, print matching and cutting mistakes. Check the layout and your fabric direction before buying.
See how we calculate ↗How to calculate quilt binding
Start with the measured quilt perimeter, add the length your finishing method needs, then allow for the joins between strips. This free calculator plans full-width, straight-grain strips joined diagonally.
- Measure the quilt. Perimeter = 2 × (width + length). Add your chosen extra binding length; the default is 12 inches.
- Choose the cut strip width. Use the width before folding, such as 2¼ or 2½ inches. Measure the usable fabric width after excluding selvages.
- Allow for diagonal joins. In this model, each join consumes one strip width. Usable binding = strip count × fabric width − (strip count − 1) × strip width. Choose the smallest whole strip count that covers your target.
- Calculate fabric to buy. Multiply strip count by cut strip width, divide by 36 for yards, then round upward to the shop’s purchase increment. Here, purchases round up to ⅛ yard, or 0.1 meter in centimeter mode.
Dividing the perimeter by fabric width alone can underestimate the strip count because it ignores the joins. The 60 × 80-inch worked example below shows why seven strips fall short.
Quilt binding chart: strip count and yardage
These are six example quilt sizes, not standard bed-size measurements. Each plan uses 42 usable inches of fabric, 12 inches of extra binding and diagonal joins. Shrinkage, squaring up and cutting mistakes need a separate allowance. Choose strip width to suit your pattern and sewing method.
Use a button to load the complete example into the calculator. It sets the quilt size, fabric width, strip width and extra length, keeps your current inch/cm selection and leaves your saved plan unchanged until you choose Save.
| Example quilt top | 2¼-inch strips | 2½-inch strips |
|---|---|---|
| Baby 36 × 48 in | 5 strips · ⅜ yd | 5 strips · ⅜ yd |
| Throw 60 × 80 in | 8 strips · ½ yd | 8 strips · ⅝ yd |
| Twin 70 × 90 in | 9 strips · ⅝ yd | 9 strips · ⅝ yd |
| Full 80 × 90 in | 9 strips · ⅝ yd | 9 strips · ⅝ yd |
| Queen 90 × 96 in | 10 strips · ⅝ yd | 10 strips · ¾ yd |
| King 108 × 108 in | 12 strips · ¾ yd | 12 strips · ⅞ yd |
Planning the back of the same quilt? Compare the backing yardage chart or enter your actual measurements in the quilt backing calculator. Binding and backing are separate fabric estimates.
Binding for a 60 × 80 inch quilt
For a rectangular quilt, the perimeter is 2 × (60 + 80) = 280 inches. Adding 12 inches for turning corners and joining the ends gives a target of 292 inches.
Suppose you cut 2½ inch strips across 42 inches of usable fabric and connect them with diagonal joins. Each join consumes 2½ inches of length in this model.
- Seven strips yield 7 × 42 − 6 × 2.5 = 279 inches: not enough.
- Eight strips yield 8 × 42 − 7 × 2.5 = 318½ inches: enough for the 292 inch target.
- Eight strips need 8 × 2.5 = 20 inches along the fabric roll. That is 0.555… yards, rounded up to ⅝ yard.
The purchase estimate covers the strips. It does not include extra fabric for shrinkage or errors while straightening and cutting.
Cut width is not finished width
Enter the width of each strip before folding and attaching it. The visible finished binding width depends on your folding and sewing method, batting thickness and seam allowance. Follow your pattern when choosing the strip width.
Choose the extra length deliberately
The default 12 inches is an editable planning allowance, not a universal rule. Your preferred finishing method may need more. The allowance for diagonal joins between strips is already handled separately.
For straight-grain binding only
This tool assumes full-width crosswise strips. It does not calculate bias binding, continuous bias methods, scalloped edges or irregular quilt perimeters. The illustrated strips are a schematic; large strip counts are abbreviated in the picture and stated in full in the result.
Common binding questions
How many binding strips do I need for a queen quilt?
For a measured 90 × 96 inch quilt, 42-inch usable fabric, 2½-inch strips and 12 inches of extra binding, this model needs 10 strips. They use 25 inches of fabric along the roll, rounded up to ¾ yard. Use your own quilt measurements: “queen” is not a fixed size.
What changes if I cut 2¼-inch strips instead of 2½-inch strips?
For the same 90 × 96 inch example, both choices need 10 strips. The narrower strips use less fabric, but must suit your pattern, batting and binding method. Do not choose a strip width solely to reduce the purchase.
| Cut strip width | Strips | Length to cut | Buy in ⅛ yd steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2¼ in | 10 | 22½ in | ⅝ yd |
| 2½ in | 10 | 25 in | ¾ yd |
Is binding the same as a quilt border?
Binding finishes the outside edge of the quilt. A border adds a frame to the quilt top before quilting. Use the straight quilt border calculator to plan that frame, then measure the enlarged quilt before calculating its binding.