StitchCalcs

Quilt binding calculator

Work out how many binding strips to cut and how much fabric to buy for any quilt, allowing for the diagonal joins and the corners.

Measure in
2.5 in (6 cm) is the most common for double-fold binding.
42–44 in quilting cotton gives about 40 in after trimming selvages.
For mitred corners and joining the two ends.

How it works

Binding has to go all the way around the quilt, with some extra for the corners and for joining the ends. Strips are cut across the width of the fabric and sewn end to end with diagonal seams, and each diagonal join uses up roughly one strip width of length.

length needed = 2 × (width + length) + extra
strips = enough strips to reach that length after the joins
fabric = strips × strip width, rounded up to the next ⅛ yd

Example: a 60 × 80 in quilt has a 280 in perimeter. Adding 12 in gives 292 in. Eight 2.5 in strips from 40 in fabric reach 302.5 in after seven joins, so you need 8 strips, which is 20 in or ⅝ yd of fabric.

Tips

  • Measure your finished quilt after quilting, not the top: quilting draws it in a little.
  • For scrappy binding, cut strips from several fabrics. The strip count stays the same.
  • Bias binding, needed for curved edges, is cut differently and uses more fabric than straight-grain strips.
  • Wider binding strips (for example 2.75 in) show more binding on the front and suit thicker battings.

Last updated 2026-09-30. How these calculators are made.

Related calculators