Quilt border calculator.
Add one frame, with the side borders sewn first.
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 ↗One 4 inch border around a 60 × 80 inch top
Start with the measured unfinished quilt top. With a 4 inch finished border and ¼ inch seams, cut strips 4½ inches wide: 4 + ¼ + ¼.
- Prepare two side borders, each 80 inches long.
- Sewing both side borders adds 8 inches to the top’s width. Prepare the top and bottom borders each 68 inches long.
- At 42 usable inches per strip, two sections joined with a ¼ inch straight seam provide 42 + 42 − ½ = 83½ inches. This covers each border length.
- Allocate two full-width strips to each of the four borders: eight strips. Eight × 4½ = 36 inches, or 1 yard, before any extra fabric you choose to add.
Join each pair, then trim each assembled border to its stated length. This is a conservative shopping plan: leftover sections are not reassigned between the four borders.
Measure the top you have
Use measurements of the actual unfinished quilt top rather than a bed-size label. If the top is not square or its measurements differ significantly, resolve that before relying on a simple rectangular calculation.
The sewing order matters
This calculation attaches the sides first, then the top and bottom. Reversing that order changes the lengths of the pieces. It assumes butt-joined corners and straight seams between strip sections.
Plan other border styles separately
Mitered corners, diagonal joins, directional print matching and multiple nested borders need a different cutting plan. To estimate another border, measure the top again after the first border is attached and run a new calculation.
Read the formula and assumptions · Calculate the outer binding