Free tools for quilters
Free Quilt Calculators
Work out quilt sizes and how much fabric to buy before you head to the shop. Every calculator shows its math and works on your phone.
Shows the math. Every answer lists the formula and the numbers behind it, so you can check it.
Rounded like the shop. Fabric is rounded up to the next 1/8 yard, the way it is cut at the counter.
No sign-up. Free to use, nothing to install, and your measurements stay in your browser.
Plan your next quilt
Start with the finished size, then work out the backing and binding to buy.
Plan a quilt in three steps
Most quilt planning comes down to three questions: how big should the quilt be, how much backing fabric do I need, and how much binding do I need? Answer them in that order, because each one uses the finished size from the step before.
- Find the finished size for your bed in the quilt size chart, or set your own drop and pillow tuck.
- Enter that size in the quilt backing calculator to see how many panels to cut and how many yards to buy.
- Use the quilt binding calculator for the number of binding strips and the binding fabric.
What makes these quilting calculators different
Quilt shops cut fabric in eighths of a yard, so every quilt calculator here rounds up to the next 1/8 yard instead of giving an awkward decimal. The backing calculator also tries both seam directions and tells you which one saves fabric, which can be the difference of a full yard on a queen quilt.
Measurements are in inches and yards, with centimetres and metres alongside for quilters in the UK, Australia and Canada. Nothing is stored and there is no account to create.
Common questions
What is a quilt calculator?
A quilt calculator works out quilt measurements and fabric amounts for you, such as the finished size for a bed, the backing yardage or the number of binding strips, so you can buy the right amount of fabric.
How much fabric do I need for a queen size quilt back?
A queen quilt of about 84 × 102 inches needs about 7 3/4 yards of 42 inch cotton for the backing, or 3 1/8 yards of 108 inch wide backing, with 4 inches extra on every side. The quilt backing calculator works it out for any size.
Are these quilting calculators free?
Yes. All QuiltFigure calculators are free, work on phones and tablets, and do not need an account.
How we work out the numbers
QuiltFigure uses the same methods quilters already rely on. Nothing is hidden: each calculator shows its working next to the answer.
By QuiltFigureUpdated
- 1
Mattress sizes are the US standard sizes listed by the Sleep Foundation, from twin to California king; crib sizes follow the US federal crib mattress rule, 16 CFR § 1241.2.
- 2
Pieced backing allows a 1/2 inch seam on every join and compares both seam directions, the same method used by the Quilter's Paradise backing calculator.
- 3
Binding is figured as the quilt perimeter plus extra for corners and the final join, cut across the width of fabric, as described by On Point Quilter.