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How much fabric for a baby size quilt?
A 36″ × 52″ baby quilt takes about 4 3/4 yd of quilting cotton in all: 1 3/4 yd for the top, 2 1/2 yd for the backing and 1/2 yd for the binding. The top depends on your pattern; backing and binding don’t.
Every baby size
| Quilt | Top (10″ / 5″ / 2½″ pieces) | Backing | Binding | Batting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 × 36 | 1 1/8 / 1 1/4 / 1 1/2 yd | 2 1/2 yd | 3/8 yd | Crib |
| 36 × 52 | 1 5/8 / 1 3/4 / 2 1/8 yd | 2 1/2 yd | 1/2 yd | Crib |
| 40 × 40 | 1 3/8 / 1 1/2 / 1 7/8 yd | 2 3/4 yd | 3/8 yd | Throw |
How the top estimate works
The top is the quilt’s area, plus the ¼″ seam allowance around every piece, plus 10% for squaring up and cutting, divided by the 40″ of usable width in 42″–44″ cotton and rounded up to the next ⅛ yard. Small pieces have more seams, so they take more fabric: 2½″ pieces use about 30% more than 10″ pieces. Backing and binding are exact; see their pages for the math. How we calculate.
The rest of a baby quilt
Backing for a baby quilt · Binding · Batting · How many fat quarters
Questions quilters ask
How much fabric do I need for a baby size quilt?
About 4 3/4 yd of 42-44 inch quilting cotton for a 36 x 52 inch baby quilt: roughly 1 3/4 yd for a top made of 5 inch pieces, 2 1/2 yd for the backing and 1/2 yd for the binding. Add batting: crib package (45 in × 60 in).
How much fabric for the top of a baby quilt?
It depends on the size of the pieces, because every seam uses fabric. For 36 x 52: about 1 5/8 yd with large 10 inch pieces, 1 3/4 yd with 5 inch pieces and 2 1/8 yd with small 2.5 inch pieces, including 10 percent for cutting. If your pattern lists fabric amounts, use those.
Why does a pattern need more fabric than this?
These numbers assume the whole top is cut from one stack of fabric. Real patterns split the top into several fabrics, and each is bought separately and rounded up, so buy about a quarter yard extra of each. Half-square triangles and other cut-then-trim units use more than plain squares.
Updated 2026-11-14.
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