How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Quilt?
Trying to plan your next quilt but don't know where to start? This guide on quilting fabric measurements will help!
Quilt design can be intimidating for even the most experienced of quilters. However, you don't need to be a professional quilt designer to create your own design. If you're a beginner, learn all about quilting basics with this guide.
This page answers the popular question, How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Quilt? with tips, diagrams, videos, and more to help you along the way. We are even sharing a quilt yardage calculator for the most precise quilt planning possible.
Easily plan your quilt size with this page full of tips. Learn how many blocks you will need with helpful color diagrams and measurement details for common quilt sizes: baby lap/throw, twin, full/queen, and king.
A portion of this post is from our friends at C&T Publishing, "your home for creative quilting and sewing." Most of these helpful tips were taken from Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern by Jera Brandvig. In the book, Jera shares her methods for quilting as you go, but the quilt size guides below could be used for traditional quilts too!
Along with those helpful visuals, we're sharing our video for planning a quilt on graph paper and a downloadable infographic that includes the 8 most common sizes so that you can keep it handy.
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How Much Fabric Do I Need for a Quilt?
This guide has nearly every piece of information and tips for making your own quilt. It doesn't make much difference if you're new to quilting or have made several, it's always a struggle to determine the supplies you need.
Especially when it comes to the amounts of fabric you'll need for a specific quilt. Scroll down to learn:
• How Many Blocks Will You Need for a Quilt?
• Quilt Size Guide for 9" Finished Blocks
• Quilt Size Guide for 12" Finished Blocks
• Quilt Fabric Calculators
• Quilt Size Chart
• How to Design a Quilt on Graph Paper (Video)
How Many Blocks Will You Need for a Quilt?
The number of blocks you will need depends on the quilt size and how large the blocks will be.
Use the Quilt Size Guides below to see how many blocks you need to make a baby, lap, twin, full/queen, or king-size quilt.
For example, if you are making a pattern where the finished block measures 12" x 12" and you want to make a lap-size quilt, you will need 30 batting squares measuring 13-1/2" x 13-1/2" each.
The majority of the projects in this book use 9" and 12" finished blocks, which is why we have these specific guides. You can make any size blocks you want, however, simply by cutting the batting 1" larger than the trimmed block size (or 1-1/2" larger than the finished block size).
These are loose guidelines because standard quilt sizes tend to vary. Easily customize the size of your quilt by adding or subtracting rows of blocks.
Quilt Size Guide for 9" Finished Blocks
Cut batting squares 10-1/2 " x 10-1/2". The blocks will be 9-1/2" x 9-1/2" after they are squared up.
Quilt Size Guide for 12" Finished Blocks
Cut batting squares 13-1/2" x 13-1/2". The blocks will be 12-1/2" x 12-1/2" after they are squared up.
Quilt Fabric Calculators
Quilter's Paradise has every type of quilting calculator you would ever need. Click to find the appropriate calculator for the following techniques and materials needed:
Quilt Size Chart
Have all the sizes you'll need for whichever size quilt you want to make at your fingertips with this downloadable infographic for Bed Quilt Sizes. FaveQuilts also has a Guide to Quilt Sizes chart.
BONUS! How to Design a Quilt on Graph Paper (Video)
Now that you have the answer to how much fabric do I need for a quilt? you can get creative by planning out your own quilt from scratch. Our friend Carolina Moore walks you through the process in her video tutorial for How to Design a Quilt. Click the play button to watch it right below!
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Want More?
How to Prepare a Quilt for Longarm Quilting >>
What is your favorite quilt size?
Let us know in the comments below.