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Quilt Binding Strips Calculator

Enter your quilt size and strip width to find the binding strips and fabric needed.

How it is calculated

All measurements are in inches. The tool computes the perimeter P = 2 × (length + width), adds a fixed 10 in for the joining overlap and corners, so binding length = P + 10. The number of strips is ceil(binding length ÷ usable fabric width), always rounded up to a whole strip. Fabric needed is strips × strip width, which is the length of fabric you cut across the bolt, not the yardage including the fabric width. All four values must be positive; otherwise there is no result. The 10 in allowance is a flat figure, not adjusted for quilt size or binding style.

Worked example

A quilt 80 in long and 60 in wide, usable fabric width 42 in, strip width 2.5 in. Perimeter: 2 × (80 + 60) = 280 in. Add 10 in: binding length 290.00 in. Strips: 290 ÷ 42 = 6.90, rounded up to 7 strips. Fabric: 7 × 2.5 = 17.50 in. Cut seven strips of 2.5 in across the fabric width, join them end to end, and you have a little more than the 290 in needed.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering the nominal fabric width (44 in) instead of the usable width after trimming the selvages: the strip count can come out one too low.
  • Mixing units: all four fields are inches, so a quilt measured in centimetres or feet gives a nonsense strip count.
  • Entering the finished binding width instead of the cut strip width: a binding that finishes at 0.5 in is usually cut wider, and the fabric result depends on the cut width.
  • Treating the fabric figure as yardage: it is only the strip widths added together (here 17.50 in), so round up to the next purchasable cut yourself.
  • Leaving no room for a quilt that is trimmed or has rounded corners: the tool only adds a flat 10 in.

About this calculator

Binding is the folded strip of fabric that wraps and finishes the raw edges of a quilt sandwich. To figure out how much you need, add the quilt’s perimeter (2×length + 2×width) plus a flat 10 inches for the corners and the joining tail, then divide by the usable width of fabric — typically about 40–42 inches after trimming selvages — to get the number of strips to cut. If your quilt is large or the binding is bulky, add a little more to be safe.

Strip width matters too: quilters commonly cut 2.25″ strips for standard double-fold binding or 2.5″ for a slightly fuller look, and that width also sets how much yardage each strip consumes. Quilters and pattern designers use this math to buy the right amount of binding fabric before starting a project, avoiding a fabric-store trip mid-quilt, and this calculator turns your quilt size and strip width into a strip count and total fabric needed.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    The fabric figure is the length cut down the bolt, not yardage you can buy straight off the bolt label. For an 80 by 60 quilt with 42 inch fabric and 2.5 inch strips the tool gives 290.00 in of binding, 7 strips and 17.50 in of fabric. Round that up to a convenient cut such as a quarter yard, and add a little for squaring the edge. What strip width do you cut for your binding, and why?

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