Your ultimate guide to quilt sizes + FREE quilt size printable!
Published on 23 August 2021 By Sarah J 3 min readHow big is a baby quilt? What’s the difference between a throw and a lap quilt? How much batting do you need for a king-sized project? We’ve got the answers to your most common quilting questions! Our super handy quilt size chart shows you all the measurements needed to create a quilt of any size. Download our free quilt size printable and learn how to calculate how much batting and fabric you’ll need to make your fabulous quilt!
What are the different quilt sizes?
From a baby quilt size for the little tots, to a California king quilt fit for royalty, you can create the cutest and cosiest quilts with our charts! Our quilt charts use standard bed sizes to show you the quilt measurements you will need to sew.
Making a custom size quilt
If your bed is an odd size, or you're making a quilt to drape over a sofa or hang on a wall, you'll want to work out how big you'll want your quilt to be and how much fabric you will need to make it.
First thing’s first – measure the width (W), length (L) and depth (D) of your mattress then find out the dimensions of your quilt using this simple formula:
W+(2 * D) = quilt width
L + D = quilt length
For example, if your mattress has a width of 60 inches, length of 80 inches and depth of 12 inches:
60 + (2 x 12) = 84″ (ideal quilt width)
80 + 12 = 92″ (ideal quilt length)
Your quilt pattern should ideally finish at 84″ x 92″ for this bed.
How much fabric do you need?
Once you have your measurements, you’ll also need to decide how much of your quilt will be made up of blocks, and how much of the size will be taken up by the border. The best way to do this is to make a sketch of your quilt and make sure the blocks and borders fit within your dimensions.
For instance, for a quilt that measures about 60 inches x 80 inches, six 10 inch blocks across and eight 10 inch blocks down will fill the space, requiring 48 blocks – that’s without a border.
If maths isn’t your strong suit, there are several quilting calculators online you can use to do the maths for you!
How do you work out the batting size compared to your quilt size?
With quilt batting, it needs to cover the entire quilt top with approximately 4" overhang on each of the four sides of the quilt. To work this out, use these simple equations:
Length of batting: actual length of quilt top" + 8" for overhang = length of batting required"
Width of batting: actual width of quilt top" + 8" for overhang = width of batting required"
You can purchase pre-cut batting by project size for example, baby, crib, double, queen and king. However, carefully compare the size of the pre-cut batting and the actual size of the quilt top, and factor in the additional 4" overhang on each of the four sides of the quilt before committing to buy!
You may need to go up a size or down a size to accommodate your project. Alternatively, you can purchase batting by the yard or metre and, again, be sure to check the width of the batting covers the length or the width of your project, plus overhang.
