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Quilt Calculator
Plan a quilt top with size presets, square blocks, sashing and borders. Read fabric yardage and metres for the top, binding and backing at 42–44 inches or 108 inches wide.
Quilt Calculator: Rounds up to whole square blocks and reports the resulting finished size. Top yardage uses complete cross-grain strips for plain squares, sashing, cornerstones and pieced borders. Binding uses 2½-inch strips. Backing adds four inches on each side and compares vertical and horizontal panel layouts. Purchase estimates add 10% and round up to a quarter yard. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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Presets are typical starting points within the Victoria Quilters’ Guild size ranges. Measure your bed and desired drop. Widths are usable after removing selvedges.
Cut plan
Whole blocks round the finished size up to meet your target.
| Fabric | Cut yardage | Metres | Buy with 10% allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top: plain blocks, sashing and borders | 6.708 | 6.134 | 7.50 yd / 6.86 m |
| Binding | 0.694 | 0.635 | 1.00 yd / 0.91 m |
| Backing | 2.722 | 2.489 | 3.00 yd / 2.74 m |
Blocks: 6.708 yd; sashing and cornerstones: 0.000 yd; borders: 0.000 yd.
Backing cut: 98 × 108 in, using 1 panels. Seams run horizontally.
Formulas and assumptions
Columns = ceil((target width − 2 × border + sashing) / (block + sashing)); rows use the same formula for height. Finished width = columns × block + (columns − 1) × sashing + 2 × border.
Cut blocks at finished size + ½ in for ¼ in seams. Blocks per strip = floor(usable width / cut block). Block yardage = ceil(block count / blocks per strip) × cut block / 36.
Sashing uses short strips between blocks and square cornerstones, with ½ in added to each cut dimension. Pieces per strip = floor(usable width / piece length). No outer sashing. Each fabric group is cut separately.
Borders are pieced cross-grain strips: ceil((2 × inner height + 2 × finished width + 2) / (usable width − ½)) strips, each border width + ½ in wide.
Binding length = 2 × (finished width + height) + 12 in. Use 2½ in strips, allowing 2½ in per diagonal join: strips = ceil(length / (usable width − 2½)); yardage = strips × 2½ / 36.
Backing adds 4 in on every side, with ½ in seams. Panels = ceil((required crosswise size − 1) / (usable backing width − 1)). Compare both orientations and use the smaller panels × cut length / 36.
1 yard = 0.9144 metres. Purchase estimates add 10% and round up to ¼ yard. Plain square blocks only; patchwork, directional prints, pattern matching and shrinkage may need more.
Typical dimensions
Presets lie within the Victoria Quilters’ Guild size-chart ranges; quilt dimensions vary with mattress depth, drop and pillow tuck. The tool uses its own selected starting points. Source: https://www.victoriaquiltersguild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-Christmas-Sale-quilt-sizes-document.pdf
Cutting formulas
All dimensions are in inches. Square cuts and sashing add a total half-inch seam allowance. Backing uses half-inch seams and four-inch margins on each edge. Yardage is cut length divided by 36; one yard is 0.9144 metres. Binding includes twelve extra inches and allowance for diagonal strip joins. The complete strip and panel formulas appear beside your result.
How to use it
- Choose a size preset or enter target dimensions.
- Enter the finished block, sashing and border sizes and usable fabric widths.
- Read the cut plan, formulas and purchase estimates, or download the plan.
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Your inputs and images stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
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Frequently asked questions
Are the presets exact standards?
No. They are editable typical starting points within a quilt guild’s published ranges: crib 40 × 52, twin 70 × 90, full 85 × 100, queen 90 × 100 and king 108 × 108 inches. Measure your bed and drop.
Does it calculate patchwork fabric?
It calculates plain square blocks. Subdivided blocks, directional prints, pattern matching and shrinkage can need additional fabric.
Why is the finished size bigger than my target?
Rows and columns round up to whole blocks so the finished quilt meets or exceeds the target. Sashing sits between blocks, and borders surround the top.
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