Quilt Binding Calculator — Fabric & Strip Estimator
Find out exactly how much fabric to buy and how many strips to cut for your quilt binding. Enter the quilt dimensions and your preferred binding width to get the strip count and total yardage needed.
Unit
in
in
in
0.56 yards — always buy a little extra
- 1
Quilt perimeter
2 × (60 + 80) in = 280 - 2
Total binding with corner joins
280 + 20 in = 300Extra length for 45° joining seams at strip ends and mitre folds at each corner. - 3
Strips to cut
⌈300 ÷ 40 in⌉ = 8Each strip runs the full 40 in usable width of standard quilting fabric. - 4
Fabric from bolt
8 × 2.5 in = 20
How does this calculator work?
Total binding = quilt perimeter + 20 in (for joins and corners). Divide by 40 in usable fabric width, round up to get strip count, then multiply by your strip width (typically 2.5 in) to get yardage from the bolt. The calculator handles the unit conversion and rounding for you.
Formula
How this is calculated
Quilt binding is a folded strip of fabric that wraps around the raw edges of the quilt sandwich, securing the top, batting and backing together in a neat finish. Most quilters cut strips on the crossgrain (across the width of the fabric) at 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) wide for a standard double-fold finish — the strip is pressed in half lengthwise and sewn over the edge so both folded layers are the same width.
To find the total length of binding needed, add up the quilt perimeter (2 × width + 2 × length) and tack on roughly 20 extra inches to account for the 45-degree seams joining the strips end-to-end, the diagonal final join, and the extra fabric consumed by mitre-folding the four corners. Quilting fabric bolts are typically 42–44 inches wide; after pre-washing and trimming the selvedges, the usable width is approximately 40 inches, which is the length you get from each strip cut.
Divide the total binding length by the usable fabric width to get the number of strips. Multiply the strip count by the strip width to find how much fabric to cut from the bolt. The result is presented in yards as well as your chosen unit because most fabric is sold by the yard. Buy a small amount extra to allow for cutting inaccuracies and pre-wash shrinkage.
Frequently asked questions
The extra 20 inches covers the diagonal 45-degree seam used to join each strip end-to-end (each join uses approximately 5 inches total), the angled fold at each corner, and the final join where the binding overlaps itself. Without this allowance, you risk running short at the very end of the quilt.
The most common width is 2.5 inches (6.4 cm), which produces a finished binding of about 3/8–1/2 inch on each side of the quilt. Wider strips (2.75–3 in) are useful for thicker quilts or a more prominent edge. Narrower strips (2 in) suit wall hangings with thin batting. Adjust the strip width field to match your preference.
Straight-of-grain (crossgrain) strips are sufficient for most quilts with straight edges and work for gentle curves too. Bias-cut binding — cut at 45 degrees to the grain — stretches slightly and is preferred for scalloped or heavily curved edges, but it uses considerably more fabric.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Quilt Binding Calculator — Fabric & Strip Estimator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/quilt-binding-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Quilt Binding Calculator — Fabric & Strip Estimator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/quilt-binding-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Quilt Binding Calculator — Fabric & Strip Estimator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/quilt-binding-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_quilt_binding_calculator, title = {Quilt Binding Calculator — Fabric & Strip Estimator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/quilt-binding-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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