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Quilt binding calculator

Find the binding fabric you need for a finished quilt. The calculator uses the quilt perimeter, adds room for corners and joins, and converts it to 2½-inch strips.

What size is your quilt top?

Start with a common size
Across the quilt top
Top to bottom

Worked for double-fold strips cut 2½″ wide across 42″ of usable fabric, with 10″ added for the corners and the ends, and 2½″ taken by every diagonal join.

Showing a 60″ × 80″ quilt. Put in yours.

Your binding answer

You need ⅝ yard

for 8 strips, cut 2½″ wide

Maybe grab a little extra, just in case.

Strips to cut
8
Binding length
290″
Quilt perimeter
280″
Use this for my quilt

Pick a quilt off the shelf and its plan works out every yard for you.

How we worked it out
  1. All the way around your 60″ × 80″ quilt is 280″.
  2. Add 10″ for turning the corners and closing the ends: 280″ + 10″ = 290″ of binding needed.
  3. Each strip is 42″ long, and every diagonal join uses 2½″ of it. 8 strips cut 2½″ wide, joined 7 times, give 318½″, enough to go round.
  4. 20″ of binding fabric in all, or ⅝ yard.

Before you cut

  1. Measure the finished quilt top's width and height.
  2. This answer assumes double-fold binding strips cut 2½ inches wide from a 42-inch usable fabric width.
  3. The result adds 10 inches for turning the corners and closing the ends, and counts 2½ inches of length for every diagonal join.

Questions quilters ask

How do I calculate quilt binding yardage?

Add the quilt perimeter and about 10 inches for turning the corners and closing the ends. Each strip gives you the usable fabric width, less one strip width for every diagonal join, so keep adding strips until the joined length covers it. This calculator does those steps for you and shows the working.

What strip width does this binding calculator use?

It uses 2½-inch strips for double-fold binding. If you prefer a narrower or wider binding, use the result as a starting point and adjust your strip width before cutting.

Take the binding numbers with you.

A one-page cheat sheet for every standard quilt size, worked out with the same math as this calculator.

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