Quilt backing calculator
A 90″ × 108″ queen quilt needs 8 1/4 yd of 42″–44″ backing fabric, or 3 1/4 yd of 108″ wide backing. Enter your own size below: fractions like 60 1/2 work, and results round up to the next ⅛ yard.
Backing yardage chart
With 4″ extra on every side, 42″–44″ cotton (about 40″ usable) or 108″ wide backing (about 104″ usable).
| Quilt | Size | 42″–44″ fabric | 108″ wide | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | 36 × 52 | 2 1/2 yd (2 panels) | 1 1/4 yd | 2.3 m |
| Crib | 45 × 60 | 3 yd (2 panels) | 1 1/2 yd | 2.7 m |
| Throw | 60 × 70 | 3 7/8 yd (2 panels) | 2 yd | 3.5 m |
| Twin | 70 × 90 | 5 1/2 yd (2 panels) | 2 1/4 yd | 5.0 m |
| Full | 84 × 90 | 7 3/4 yd (3 panels) | 2 5/8 yd | 7.1 m |
| Queen | 90 × 108 | 8 1/4 yd (3 panels) | 3 1/4 yd | 7.5 m |
| King | 108 × 108 | 9 3/4 yd (3 panels) | 6 1/2 yd | 8.9 m |
Backing, binding & batting cheat sheet
How much to buy for baby to king quilts, with two blank rows for your own. Take it to the fabric shop.
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Backing for common quilt sizes
- 36 × 36Baby
- 36 × 52Baby
- 40 × 40Baby
- 40 × 60Crib
- 45 × 60Crib
- 50 × 60Throw
- 50 × 65Throw
- 54 × 72Throw
- 60 × 60Throw
- 60 × 70Throw
- 60 × 72Throw
- 60 × 80Throw
- 66 × 90Twin
- 70 × 90Twin
- 72 × 90Twin
- 80 × 90Full
- 84 × 90Full
- 86 × 100Full
- 84 × 102Queen
- 90 × 100Queen
- 90 × 108Queen
- 92 × 108Queen
- 100 × 100King
- 108 × 108King
- 110 × 110King
- 120 × 120King
How quilt backing is calculated
Add your overhang to every side (4″ is standard for long-arm quilting), divide the backing width by the usable width of fabric (about 40″ for 42″–44″ cotton once the selvages are trimmed, with ½″ seam allowances), and multiply the number of panels by the panel length. Try both seam directions — one often saves a whole panel. Full method and assumptions.
Learn it by doing: See the backing worked out step by step, with a simulator.
Questions quilters ask
How much backing fabric do I need for a quilt?
Add 4 inches to every side of the quilt top, divide the backing width by about 40 inches (the usable width of 42-44 inch cotton) to get the number of panels, and multiply by the panel length. A 90 x 108 inch queen quilt needs 8 1/4 yd; a 70 x 90 inch twin needs 5 1/2 yd.
Should backing seams run vertically or horizontally?
Work out both and buy the smaller amount. For a 90 x 108 inch quilt, horizontal seams take 8 1/4 yd and vertical seams take 9 3/4 yd. Some long-arm quilters prefer the seams to run the same way the quilt is loaded on the frame, so ask yours.
How much 108 inch wide backing do I need?
The length of the backing, rounded up: 3 1/4 yd for a 90 x 108 inch queen quilt and 6 1/2 yd for a 108 x 108 inch king. Wide backing is about 104 inches usable, so quilts up to about 96 inches wide need no seam at all.
How much bigger than the quilt top should the backing be?
4 inches on every side (8 inches in total each way) is the usual allowance for long-arm quilting; some quilters ask for 5 or 6 inches. For quilting on a home machine, 2-3 inches per side is enough.
Updated 2026-11-14.
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