Quilt Backing CalculatorQuilt Backing Yardage Chart
The whole chart on one page: for every standard quilt size, the backing dimensions you need, how many panels of fabric they take, and the yardage to buy — on standard 44 in quilting cotton and on 108 in wide backing. Every figure uses 4 in of overage per side and is rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard.
How to read this chart
Find your quilt's size in the first column. The "backing needed" column is the size the back must finish at — your quilt top plus 8 in in each dimension, because the chart's standard allowance is 4 in of overage on every side. The remaining columns give, for each fabric width, the number of panels to cut and the total yardage those panels take.
Panels normally run along the backing's length, cut at the full backing length; where running them across the width uses less fabric, the chart shows that layout instead and marks the yardage "crosswise". Either way, yardage is panels × panel length ÷ 36, rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yd. Panel counts account for real sewing: every panel covers a usable width — the printed fabric width minus 1 in of seam allowances (two 1/2 in seams' worth) and 1 in of selvedge trimming and squaring — which is why three panels of 44 in fabric cover 126 in of width, not 132.
When the chart isn't enough
Charts serve standard sizes; quilts are individuals. If your quilt is a non-standard size, if you want a different overage, or if your fabric is 42, 45 or 60 in wide, the figures here won't be yours — run your own measurements through the backing calculator on the homepage instead. And if your quilt is modestly wider than one width of fabric, check the diagonal backing method before committing to pieced panels: a 54 in back on 44 in fabric takes about a third more length than the back itself, where two pieced panels take double — and the diagonal seam hides better than a straight one. The saving fades as the back widens: at about 65 in wide on 44 in fabric the diagonal needs exactly as much fabric as piecing, and beyond that piecing wins.
One more caution: the chart assumes your fabric is a full, honest width. Vintage and some imported cottons measure 40–42 in. Measure your actual fabric selvage to selvage; if it falls short of 44, the calculator at the standard widths will serve you better than this chart's 44 in column.
Worked example — reading the queen row
A queen quilt top, 90 × 108 in, needs a backing of 98 × 116 in with the chart's overage. On 44 in fabric each panel covers 42 in of usable width, so the 98 in width takes 3 panels. Run along the length, that is 3 × 116 in = 348 in = 9 2/3 yd, rounded up to 9 3/4 yd. Run across the width instead — 3 panels cut 98 in long — it is 294 in = 8 1/4 yd, so the row reads 3 panels, 8 1/4 yd (crosswise). On 108 in wide backing the same quilt needs no seam at all: 1 panel of 116 in = 3 1/4 yd. That contrast — well under half the yardage, and no seams — is why wide backing fabric exists, and why so many quilters buy it for queen and king quilts despite the higher price per yard.
The chart
| Quilt size | Quilt top | Backing needed | 44 in fabric — panels | 44 in fabric — yardage | 108 in fabric — panels | 108 in fabric — yardage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crib | 36 × 52 in | 44 × 60 in | 2 | 3 3/8 yd | 1 | 1 3/4 yd |
| Throw | 50 × 65 in | 58 × 73 in | 2 | 3 1/4 yd (crosswise) | 1 | 2 1/8 yd |
| Twin | 70 × 90 in | 78 × 98 in | 2 | 5 1/2 yd | 1 | 2 3/4 yd |
| Full / Double | 80 × 90 in | 88 × 98 in | 3 | 7 3/8 yd (crosswise) | 1 | 2 3/4 yd |
| Queen | 90 × 108 in | 98 × 116 in | 3 | 8 1/4 yd (crosswise) | 1 | 3 1/4 yd |
| King | 110 × 108 in | 118 × 116 in | 3 | 9 3/4 yd | 2 | 6 1/2 yd |
All figures use 4 in of overage per side and 1/2 in seam allowances. Yardage is rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yd, the smallest cut most fabric shops will make.
Yardage marked “crosswise” runs the panels across the backing's width instead of along its length — the chart shows whichever layout uses less fabric. Crosswise seams run across the back, which is a poor fit for directional prints.
Related calculators
- Quilt Batting CalculatorQuilt batting calculator: enter your quilt size to get the batting dimensions needed and the smallest pre-cut package that fits, or yardage from a 90 in bolt.
- Quilt Size CalculatorQuilt size calculator: pick a mattress size and how far you want the quilt to hang, and get recommended quilt dimensions plus the closest standard size.
- Quilt Binding CalculatorQuilt binding calculator using Missouri Star's method: perimeter plus allowance gives binding length, strip count and yardage for any strip width.
Prefer to measure a specific quilt? The free backing calculator does panels and yardage for any size.
Frequently asked questions
How much backing fabric do I need for a queen quilt?
On standard 44 in fabric: 8 1/4 yd (three panels, run crosswise — run lengthwise they would take 9 3/4 yd). On 108 in wide backing: 3 1/4 yd (one panel, no seam). Both figures include the standard 4 in overage per side and are worked in full in the example above.
What overage and seams does this chart assume?
Four inches of overage per side, 1/2 in seam allowances, and every panel counted at its usable width — the printed fabric width minus 2 in for seam allowances and selvedge trimming (so 42 in of coverage from a 44 in fabric, single panels included). Those are the standard planning assumptions; if your longarm quilter wants more overage, use the homepage calculator with your figure instead.
My quilt isn't a standard size. Can I interpolate between rows?
Please don't — backing math is not linear, because panel counts jump in whole steps. A quilt 1 in too wide for two panels needs three, and no interpolation warns you. Non-standard sizes are exactly what the calculator is for; it takes ten seconds.
Why does the 108 in column sometimes show more length than the quilt?
Because the panel is cut to the backing length — quilt length plus 8 in of overage — and sold by the yard, rounded up to the nearest 1/8. A twin on wide backing is 98 in of fabric: 2 3/4 yd. The leftover strip is not waste; it is tomorrow's binding, sashing, or a matching pillow sham.
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