How many fat quarters for a quilt?
A 90″ × 108″ queen quilt top made of squares needs 45 fat quarters if you cut 6½″ squares (6″ finished), 40 with 5″ squares or 50 with 10½″ squares. Enter your own size and square below.
Fat quarters by quilt size
US fat quarters (18″ × 21″), a top made only of squares sewn with ¼″ seams. The finished top is the size shown or a little bigger, so the squares come out whole.
| Quilt | Size | 5″ squares | 6½″ squares | 10½″ squares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | 36 × 52 | 896 squares | 954 squares | 1224 squares |
| Crib | 45 × 60 | 12140 squares | 1480 squares | 1530 squares |
| Throw | 60 × 70 | 19224 squares | 20120 squares | 2142 squares |
| Twin | 70 × 90 | 27320 squares | 30180 squares | 3263 squares |
| Full | 84 × 90 | 32380 squares | 35210 squares | 4181 squares |
| Queen | 90 × 108 | 40480 squares | 45270 squares | 5099 squares |
| King | 108 × 108 | 48576 squares | 54324 squares | 61121 squares |
Squares per US fat quarter: 12 of 5″, 6 of 6½″, 2 of 10½″. If your fat quarters are trimmed smaller than 18″ × 21″, 10½″ squares may fit only once.
UK fat quarters (50 × 55 cm)
A UK fat quarter is a little bigger than a US one, so 6½″ squares fit 9 to a fat quarter instead of 6.
| Quilt | Size | 5″ squares | 6½″ squares | 10½″ squares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | 36 × 52 91 × 132 cm | 8 | 6 | 12 |
| Crib | 45 × 60 114 × 152 cm | 12 | 9 | 15 |
| Throw | 60 × 70 152 × 178 cm | 19 | 14 | 21 |
| Twin | 70 × 90 178 × 229 cm | 27 | 20 | 32 |
| Full | 84 × 90 213 × 229 cm | 32 | 24 | 41 |
| Queen | 90 × 108 229 × 274 cm | 40 | 30 | 50 |
| King | 108 × 108 274 × 274 cm | 48 | 36 | 61 |
How it's worked out
- Finished square = cut size − ½″. For 6½″ squares: 6″.
- Squares across = quilt width ÷ 6, rounded up; squares down = length ÷ 6, rounded up. 90 × 108: 15 × 18 = 270 squares.
- Squares per fat quarter: 18 ÷ 6½ = 2 across, 21 ÷ 6½ = 3 down → 6.
- 270 ÷ 6 = 45 fat quarters.
Other patterns use fabric differently (triangles and strips waste more), so treat this as the count for squares and add a few for a scrappy mix. The backing and binding are separate: see backing for a queen quilt and binding. Using pre-cuts instead? Jelly rolls, layer cakes and charm packs.
Learn it by doing: See how a fat quarter cuts up.
Questions quilters ask
How many fat quarters do I need for a queen size quilt?
About 40–50 for a 90 x 108 inch queen quilt top made of squares: 40 if you cut 5 inch squares, 45 for 6 1/2 inch squares, 50 for 10 1/2 inch squares. Backing and binding are extra.
How many fat quarters for a throw quilt?
20 fat quarters for a 60 x 70 inch throw made of 6 1/2 inch squares (6 inch finished), or 19 with 5 inch squares.
How many fat quarters for a baby quilt?
8 fat quarters for a 36 x 52 inch baby quilt of 5 inch squares, 9 with 6 1/2 inch squares.
How many squares can you cut from a fat quarter?
A US fat quarter (18 x 21 inches) gives 12 squares of 5 inches, 6 of 6 1/2 inches, 2 of 10 1/2 inches and 56 of 2 1/2 inches. A UK fat quarter (50 x 55 cm) gives 9 squares of 6 1/2 inches.
Why do other charts say fewer fat quarters?
Many charts divide the quilt area by the area of a fat quarter. That ignores the seam allowances and the leftover strips you cannot use, so it comes out short. These counts are exact for squares: whole squares per fat quarter, whole squares per quilt.
Updated 2026-11-14. How we calculate.
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