---
title: "How Much Fabric for Quilt Backing, Binding and Batting | Loopi"
description: "Work out quilt backing, binding and batting yardage step by step: backing overage for domestic and longarm quilting, vertical vs horizontal seams, 108-inch wideback, binding strips and packaged batting sizes, with worked examples."
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last_updated: 2026-10-20
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> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://www.loopi.space/llms.txt)

# **How Much Fabric for Quilt Backing, Binding and Batting**

The quilt top gets all the planning, and the finishing fabric gets a guess at the shop counter. Backing, binding and batting have simple rules, though, and doing the arithmetic before you buy saves both a second trip and a metre of backing you never needed. All measurements here are in inches, as quilting cotton is sold in yards.

## Usable width and rounding

Two numbers come up in every calculation below:

- **Usable width of fabric (WOF):** quilting cotton is sold 42" to 45" wide, but after trimming the selvages you can count on about 40". Planning with 40" is safer than the label.
- **Rounding:** fabric is cut in ⅛ yard steps (4½"). Always round **up**, never to the nearest.

## Backing

### Step 1: Add overage

The backing has to be bigger than the quilt top, because quilting draws the layers in and the frame or hoop needs something to hold.

- **Domestic machine or hand quilting:** add 4" on every side, so 8" to each dimension.
- **Longarm quilting:** add 5" on every side, so 10" to each dimension. Many longarm quilters ask for at least this; check with yours.

### Step 2: Try both seam directions

Unless you buy wideback fabric, the backing is pieced from panels of usable width. Seams can run vertically or horizontally, and one direction often uses noticeably less fabric.

**Worked example: a 50" × 65" throw, domestic quilting.**

The backing needs to be 58" × 73".

- **Vertical seams:** panels run the full 73" length. 58" ÷ 40" = 1.45, so you need 2 panels. 2 × 73" = 146" = 4.06 yd, rounded up to **4⅛ yd**.
- **Horizontal seams:** panels run the full 58" width. 73" ÷ 40" = 1.83, so you need 2 panels. 2 × 58" = 116" = 3.22 yd, rounded up to **3¼ yd**.

Horizontal seams save almost a yard here.

### Step 3: Consider wideback

Wideback fabric is 108" wide, which covers most quilts with no seam at all. For the same throw, one 108" piece covers the 73" height, so you only need the 58" width: 1.61 yd, rounded up to **1⅝ yd** of wideback. It costs more per yard than standard cotton, so compare the totals. Longarm quilters often prefer it, since a pieced backing has to be squared and pressed, and some charge to piece one for you.

## Binding

Binding is cut in strips across the width of fabric and joined end to end.

1. **Length:** the quilt's perimeter, plus about 10" for joins and mitred corners.
2. **Strips:** length ÷ usable WOF, rounded **up** to a whole strip.
3. **Yardage:** strips × strip width, rounded up to the next ⅛ yard.

Strips are usually cut 2¼" or 2½" wide.

**Worked example: a 60" × 84" quilt with 2½" strips.**

- Perimeter: 2 × (60 + 84) = 288". Add 10": 298".
- Strips: 298 ÷ 40 = 7.45, so 8 strips.
- Fabric: 8 × 2½" = 20" = 0.56 yd, rounded up to **⅝ yd**.

For the 50" × 65" throw above: 240" of binding, 6 strips, 15" of fabric, so **½ yd**.

For curved edges you need bias binding, cut diagonally across a square. The square's side is the square root of (binding length × strip width).

## Batting

Batting follows the backing: cut it to the same size, 4" larger than the top on every side, and baste and trim them together. Packaged batting comes in standard sizes:

| **Package** | **Size** |
| --- | --- |
| Crib | 45" × 60" |
| Twin | 72" × 90" |
| Full | 81" × 96" |
| Queen | 90" × 108" |
| King | 120" × 120" |

The 50" × 65" throw needs at least 58" × 73", so a **twin** package. Crib is too small in both directions.

Batting from a roll is sold by length, which can waste less on unusual sizes.

## Common finished quilt sizes

These are guidelines; quilts vary by a few inches either way.

| **Quilt** | **Finished size** |
| --- | --- |
| Crib | 36" × 52" |
| Throw | 50" × 65" |
| Twin | 68" × 86" |
| Full | 84" × 90" |
| Queen | 90" × 95" |
| King | 108" × 95" |

## Let the designer do the arithmetic

Loopi's [**Quilt Designer**](https://www.loopi.space/it/quilt-designer) works all of this out as you design: backing in both seam directions and as wideback, binding strips, and the batting package that fits, alongside the cutting list and yardage for every fabric in the top. Change the quilt's size or borders and every figure updates. Nothing is rounded quietly: a cut that is off the ruler grid or longer than your usable width is flagged as a warning instead.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much backing do I need for a throw quilt?

For a 50" × 65" throw quilted at home, about 3¼ yd of standard-width cotton with horizontal seams, or 1⅝ yd of 108" wideback.

### How much bigger should quilt backing be than the top?

4" per side for domestic quilting and 5" per side for longarm, so 8" or 10" larger in each direction.

### How much fabric do I need for binding?

Perimeter plus 10", divided by 40" for the number of strips, times the strip width. Most throws and twins need ½ to ¾ yd.

### What width should I cut binding strips?

2½" is the most common. 2¼" gives a slimmer binding.

### Should I prewash fabric before calculating yardage?

If you prewash, cotton can shrink a few percent. Add that much extra to your yardage, or measure after washing.

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