Standard Quilt Sizes and Top Yardage
Quilt top yardage depends heavily on your block design, but these estimates cover a standard patchwork or simple block pattern using 45" wide quilting cotton. For intricate paper-pieced designs with many small pieces, add 20–30%.
| Quilt Size | Dimensions | Top Yardage (45" fabric) | Fat Quarters Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crib / Baby | 45" × 60" | 3.5 – 4.5 yd | 12 – 18 |
| Throw / Lap | 60" × 72" | 5.0 – 6.5 yd | 20 – 30 |
| Twin | 72" × 90" | 6.5 – 8.0 yd | 28 – 40 |
| Full / Double | 84" × 90" | 7.5 – 9.5 yd | 35 – 48 |
| Queen | 90" × 108" | 9.0 – 11.5 yd | 42 – 60 |
| King | 108" × 108" | 11.0 – 14.0 yd | 50 – 72 |
Top yardage is total fabric across all colors. If using 12 different fabrics for a throw quilt, divide the total yardage by 12 to get roughly 0.5 yard per fabric.
Precut Guide: What Each Pack Contains
Precuts save cutting time and give you a coordinated palette without buying full yardage of every color. Here is what is inside each pack:
| Precut Name | Piece Size | Pieces per Pack | Total Yardage Equivalent | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fat Quarter | 18" × 22" | Varies (often 20–40) | ~0.25 yd per piece | Sampler quilts, scrappy projects |
| Fat Eighth | 9" × 22" | Varies | ~0.125 yd per piece | Small pieces, accent blocks |
| Jelly Roll | 2.5" × WOF (~44") | 40 strips | ~2.75 yd total | Strip quilts, log cabin, bargello |
| Layer Cake | 10" × 10" | 42 squares | ~2.75 yd total | Square-based blocks, half-square triangles |
| Charm Pack | 5" × 5" | 42 squares | ~0.75 yd total | Postage stamp quilts, baby quilts |
A single jelly roll (40 strips) and a background fabric (2–3 yards of solid) can make a throw-size quilt top. Two jelly rolls or a jelly roll plus a layer cake will get you to twin size. For queen and king, you will need yardage.
Backing Calculation: Width ÷ 40 × Length ÷ 36
Quilt backing needs to extend 4–8 inches beyond the quilt top on all four sides (for the longarm quilting frame). The formula:
Using 40" as the usable width of standard 44/45" quilting cotton (after selvedge removal). For 108" wide backing fabric, skip the ceiling division — one width covers everything up to a king.
| Quilt Size | Backing (45" fabric, seamed) | Backing (108" wide fabric) |
|---|---|---|
| Crib (45×60) | 1.75 yd | 1.75 yd |
| Throw (60×72) | 4.00 yd | 2.25 yd |
| Twin (72×90) | 5.50 yd | 2.75 yd |
| Full (84×90) | 8.00 yd | 2.75 yd |
| Queen (90×108) | 8.50 yd | 3.25 yd |
| King (108×108) | 10.00 yd | 3.25 yd |
108" wide backing is the clear winner for throw quilts and larger. At roughly double the per-yard price of standard 45", it costs more per yard but uses far fewer yards — often breaking even or saving money on twin and larger quilts.
Binding: Perimeter ÷ 40 × Width of Fabric
Binding wraps the raw edges of the quilt. The standard method uses 2.5" wide strips cut across the width of the fabric, joined end-to-end, folded in half, and stitched to the quilt edge. The formula:
Binding Yardage = Strips Needed × 2.5" ÷ 36"
The extra 12" covers corner mitering and the joining seam. For a throw quilt (60" × 72"): perimeter = 264", total needed = 276", strips = Ceiling(276 ÷ 40) = 7 strips, yardage = 7 × 2.5 ÷ 36 = 0.5 yard. Most quilters buy 5/8 yard (0.625) for throw-size binding to have a safety margin.
Batting Sizes
Batting should extend 2–4 inches beyond the quilt top on all sides. Standard packaged batting sizes:
| Batting Size | Fits Quilt Up To | Typical Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| 45" × 60" | Crib | Cotton, cotton-poly blend |
| 60" × 72" | Throw | Cotton, wool, bamboo |
| 72" × 90" | Twin | Cotton, 80/20 blend |
| 90" × 96" | Full | Cotton, wool |
| 90" × 108" | Queen | Cotton, wool, bamboo |
| 120" × 120" | King | Cotton, 80/20, wool |
How Many Precuts for Each Quilt Size
| Quilt Size | Jelly Rolls (40 strips) | Layer Cakes (42 squares) | Charm Packs (42 squares) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crib | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Throw | 1 + 2 yd solid | 1 + 1.5 yd solid | 3 |
| Twin | 2 | 2 | 5+ |
For queen and king quilts, precuts become impractical — buy yardage and cut your own strips and squares. A king quilt top at 108" × 108" uses roughly 12 yards of assorted fabrics, equivalent to 4+ jelly rolls or layer cakes.
Plan your next quilt with our quilt fabric calculator — it handles block math, backing, binding, and batting for all six standard sizes.