How much binding do I need for a quilt?

Measure the finished quilt, add the four sides, then add a little for turning the corners and joining the two ends. A 40 by 60 crib quilt has a 200 in perimeter, and with the standard 10 in allowance it wants 210 in of binding. Cut 2.5 in wide from 44 in quilting cotton that is 6 strips, because six strips joined by five diagonal seams give 249 in and five strips would only give 208 in. That is 15 in off the bolt, or half a yard once it is rounded up to the next eighth.

How many 2.5 inch strips do I need for quilt binding?

It depends on the perimeter and on how long each strip is, and the joins have to be counted. A strip joined to the next one on the diagonal loses the strip width plus the two quarter inch seam allowances that get trimmed away, so a 2.5 in strip costs 3 in at every join. For a 60 by 80 quilt needing 290 in of binding off 44 in fabric, seven strips give 7 x 44 minus 6 x 3, which is exactly 290 in: 7 strips. The calculator counts the strips after that loss rather than before it, which is the difference between a binding that reaches and one that does not.

How much fabric does quilt binding take?

Each strip is cut across the usable width of the fabric and takes its own width off the length of the bolt, so the fabric is the strip count times the cut width. The 60 by 80 example is 7 strips at 2.5 in, which is 17.5 in, and that rounds up to 0.5 yd because an eighth of a yard is the smallest cut most shops will make. The same quilt off 108 in wide backing needs only 3 strips, which is 7.5 in of fabric, or 0.25 yd. Nothing is ever rounded down.

How much extra should I add for corners and joining the ends?

Ten inches is the usual working figure and it is what the Extra field opens with: a few inches for the mitres at the four corners, and enough tail at each end to join the binding into a loop. The field is yours to change. Set it to 12 or 15 if you like a long tail to join, or to 0 to see the bare perimeter. Whatever you enter is added to the perimeter before any rounding happens, and the cutting sheet shows the perimeter and the allowance on separate lines so you can see which is which.

How do I work out continuous bias binding?

Continuous bias comes off one square: cut it corner to corner, join the two triangles, sew the result into a tube offset by one strip width and cut one long spiral. A square of side S cut at strip width w yields roughly S x S / w minus S inches, so the tool solves that for S and rounds up to the next half inch. The 60 by 80 quilt needing 290 in of 2.5 in binding comes off a 28.5 in square, which is 0.875 yd, and the two seams that build the tube are paid for in the arithmetic. Bias stretches, so it is the cut for curved and scalloped edges, and it costs more fabric than straight grain. If the square comes out wider than your fabric, the page says so instead of quietly giving you a number you cannot cut. Exact model arithmetic does not guarantee physical bias yield. Fit is checked against the supplied usable fabric width and carried into every report; no two-square alternative is calculated.

Should the binding strips be 2.25 or 2.5 inches wide?

Both are common: 2.5 in is the usual double fold width, and 2.25 in gives a snugger finish on a thin quilt. Enter the width you actually cut and everything follows from it, including the loss at each join, which is 3 in for a 2.5 in strip and 2.75 in for a 2.25 in strip. The calculator counts the length of strip you cut, not how wide the fold finishes on the front of the quilt: that depends on your seam allowance and your press.

Can I type fractions, and does it work in centimetres?

Fractions read the way you write them on a cutting plan, so 2 1/4, 2-1/4 and 1/2 all parse, and so does a decimal or a number with in or an inch mark after it. The calculator works in inches and yards throughout, because the eighth of a yard it rounds to is an imperial cut. For a metric project, convert your measurements first, or use the strips figure with your own fabric width.

Does anything I type here leave my browser?

No. The arithmetic runs in the page, there is no account and nothing is uploaded. Your last set of measurements is kept in this browser so the numbers are still there after a reload, and if storage is blocked the calculator still works: it opens on the worked example each time. Restoration does not rewrite the saved record. Only valid deliberate changes are saved, with unknown and latest unedited fields preserved; invalid drafts stay on screen. Use Forget saved settings to remove an unusable or conflicting record without clearing the current calculation.

Quilt Binding Calculator

A 60 by 80 quilt has a perimeter of 2 x (60 + 80) = 280 in, and with the usual 10 in allowance for turning the four corners and joining the two ends it wants 290 in of binding. What this calculator does differently is pay for the joins before it counts the strips: joining one strip to the next on the diagonal costs the strip width plus the two quarter inch seam allowances, which is 3 in on a 2.5 in strip, so seven 44 in strips give 290 in of binding rather than 308 in. That is 7 strips, 17.5 in off the bolt, 0.5 yd. Dividing the perimeter by the fabric width instead, the way a quick answer does it, is how a quilt runs out of binding a hand span from the end. Choose bias and the same quilt comes off one 28.5 in square as a single continuous strip, 0.875 yd, and on 108 in wide backing it takes 3 strips. Measurements read as decimals or as fractions such as 2 1/4, the method is printed beside the answer, and the cutting sheet copies in one press. The new cutting plan evaluates the stated joining model with exact rational arithmetic. Continuous bias remains an approximate yield model; an oversized square is an infeasible single-square estimate, and no multiple-square solution is calculated. Opening values are examples, and the eighth-yard rounding is a convention rather than a claim about every shop.

Measurements in inches

quilt          60 × 80 in
perimeter      280 in
allowance      10 in supplied
needed         290 in
strips         7; 6 diagonal joins
binding        290 in
spare          0 in
fabric         17.5 in off the bolt
yardage        0.5 yd, rounded up to 1/8
usable width   44 in
See the complete exact report and assumptions below.

Quilt W in

Quilt H in

Binding in

Fabric in

Extra in

Perimeter280 in

Strips7

Yardage0.5 yd

Width as cut2.5 in

The perimeter is 2 x (width + height), plus your supplied extra. The stated diagonal join loses strip width + 0.5 in per join. Whole strips and yardage round upward once; 1/8 yard is this calculator's rounding convention. No shrinkage, print matching or cutting-error allowance is inferred.

Continuous bias uses the approximate model S² / strip width − S − two joining losses. The smallest half-inch square satisfying that model is selected by exact comparisons. This estimates model yield; it does not verify physical construction or calculate multiple squares.

Numbers accept up to 8192 characters, 512 significant digits per component and normalized decimal scales from -4096 to 4096. No physical measurement or strip-count cap is imposed. Fractions, mixed numbers, grouped thousands and scientific notation are accepted; use a full stop for decimals.

The same quilt, three ways

Compare straight strips, a single bias square and a 108-inch usable-width example. Each report includes its own inputs and fit status.

Straight grainSupplied usable fabric width, the one on the stage
7 strips, 0.5 yd
Bias cutSingle square; approximate yield model
28.5 in square, 0.875 yd
108 in backing108-inch usable width example
3 strips, 0.25 yd

Complete selectable report

Quilt binding calculation
Method: straight grain
width supplied: 60 in; exact: 60 in
height supplied: 80 in; exact: 80 in
binding supplied: 2.5 in; exact: 2.5 in
fabric supplied: 44 in; exact: 44 in
allowance supplied: 10 in; exact: 10 in
Perimeter: 280 in = 2 × (width + height)
Needed binding: 290 in = perimeter + supplied extra
Loss per join: 3 in = cut strip width + 0.5 in
Strips: 7; joins: 6
Yield model: n × fabric width − (n − 1) × loss per join; smallest whole n meeting needed binding.
Cut 7 strips 2.5 in wide across 44 in usable fabric; the model counts diagonal joining losses.
Binding yield: 290 in
Spare: 0 in
Fabric length off the bolt: 17.5 in
Exact yardage: 35/72 yd
Buy yardage (rounded up to 1/8): 0.5 yd

Assumptions:
All inputs are inches; yardage uses 36 inches per yard. Strip width is the width as cut, not a calculated finished fold width.
Extra is your supplied allowance. The opening 10 inches and 2.5-inch strip width are examples, not requirements. One eighth is the rounding convention, not a guarantee about shop cut sizes.
Joining loss assumes the stated diagonal join and two quarter-inch seam allowances. No extra is added for shrinkage, print matching, edge straightening or cutting errors.
Bias yield is an approximate geometric model. Exact arithmetic and upward rounding do not guarantee physical yield; this page calculates no multi-square construction solution.
No backing plan, finished binding width, centimetre input or native app workflow is calculated.
Numbers accept up to 8192 characters, 512 significant digits per component and normalized decimal scales from -4096 to 4096. No physical measurement or strip-count cap is imposed.

Accuracy. Exact arithmetic on the measurements you enter, rounded up to whole strips and to the next eighth of a yard. It adds the allowance you set for corners and joins, and assumes straight-grain strips unless you choose bias. Bias arithmetic evaluates an approximate yield model. The strip width is supplied as cut; finished fold width and backing are not calculated.

Common questions

How much binding do I need for a quilt?: Measure the finished quilt, add the four sides, then add a little for turning the corners and joining the two ends. A 40 by 60 crib quilt has a 200 in perimeter, and with the standard 10 in allowance it wants 210 in of binding. Cut 2.5 in wide from 44 in quilting cotton that is 6 strips, because six strips joined by five diagonal seams give 249 in and five strips would only give 208 in. That is 15 in off the bolt, or half a yard once it is rounded up to the next eighth.
How many 2.5 inch strips do I need for quilt binding?: It depends on the perimeter and on how long each strip is, and the joins have to be counted. A strip joined to the next one on the diagonal loses the strip width plus the two quarter inch seam allowances that get trimmed away, so a 2.5 in strip costs 3 in at every join. For a 60 by 80 quilt needing 290 in of binding off 44 in fabric, seven strips give 7 x 44 minus 6 x 3, which is exactly 290 in: 7 strips. The calculator counts the strips after that loss rather than before it, which is the difference between a binding that reaches and one that does not.
How much fabric does quilt binding take?: Each strip is cut across the usable width of the fabric and takes its own width off the length of the bolt, so the fabric is the strip count times the cut width. The 60 by 80 example is 7 strips at 2.5 in, which is 17.5 in, and that rounds up to 0.5 yd because an eighth of a yard is the smallest cut most shops will make. The same quilt off 108 in wide backing needs only 3 strips, which is 7.5 in of fabric, or 0.25 yd. Nothing is ever rounded down.
How much extra should I add for corners and joining the ends?: Ten inches is the usual working figure and it is what the Extra field opens with: a few inches for the mitres at the four corners, and enough tail at each end to join the binding into a loop. The field is yours to change. Set it to 12 or 15 if you like a long tail to join, or to 0 to see the bare perimeter. Whatever you enter is added to the perimeter before any rounding happens, and the cutting sheet shows the perimeter and the allowance on separate lines so you can see which is which.
How do I work out continuous bias binding?: Continuous bias comes off one square: cut it corner to corner, join the two triangles, sew the result into a tube offset by one strip width and cut one long spiral. A square of side S cut at strip width w yields roughly S x S / w minus S inches, so the tool solves that for S and rounds up to the next half inch. The 60 by 80 quilt needing 290 in of 2.5 in binding comes off a 28.5 in square, which is 0.875 yd, and the two seams that build the tube are paid for in the arithmetic. Bias stretches, so it is the cut for curved and scalloped edges, and it costs more fabric than straight grain. If the square comes out wider than your fabric, the page says so instead of quietly giving you a number you cannot cut. Exact model arithmetic does not guarantee physical bias yield. Fit is checked against the supplied usable fabric width and carried into every report; no two-square alternative is calculated.
Should the binding strips be 2.25 or 2.5 inches wide?: Both are common: 2.5 in is the usual double fold width, and 2.25 in gives a snugger finish on a thin quilt. Enter the width you actually cut and everything follows from it, including the loss at each join, which is 3 in for a 2.5 in strip and 2.75 in for a 2.25 in strip. The calculator counts the length of strip you cut, not how wide the fold finishes on the front of the quilt: that depends on your seam allowance and your press.
Can I type fractions, and does it work in centimetres?: Fractions read the way you write them on a cutting plan, so 2 1/4, 2-1/4 and 1/2 all parse, and so does a decimal or a number with in or an inch mark after it. The calculator works in inches and yards throughout, because the eighth of a yard it rounds to is an imperial cut. For a metric project, convert your measurements first, or use the strips figure with your own fabric width.
Does anything I type here leave my browser?: No. The arithmetic runs in the page, there is no account and nothing is uploaded. Your last set of measurements is kept in this browser so the numbers are still there after a reload, and if storage is blocked the calculator still works: it opens on the worked example each time. Restoration does not rewrite the saved record. Only valid deliberate changes are saved, with unknown and latest unedited fields preserved; invalid drafts stay on screen. Use Forget saved settings to remove an unusable or conflicting record without clearing the current calculation.

Exact arithmetic on the measurements you enter, rounded up to whole strips and to the next eighth of a yard. It adds the allowance you set for corners and joins, and assumes straight-grain strips unless you choose bias.