How to Calculate Quilt Binding Like a Pro!

Quilt binding is the finishing touch that wraps up your quilt, giving it a clean edge and added durability. Knowing how to calculate binding is essential to avoid running out of fabric and ensure a polished finish! In this blog post, we'll walk you through the simple steps to calculate how much binding fabric you'll need for your quilt.

Step 1: Measure Your Quilt

Start by measuring the perimeter of your quilt. To do this, add up the lengths of all four sides:

1. Length: Measure the height of your quilt (from top to bottom).
2. Width: Measure the width (from side to side).
3. Perimeter Formula:

Perimeter = 2 × (Length + Width)

For example, if your quilt measures 60 inches by 80 inches, your perimeter calculation would be:

Perimeter = 2 × (60 + 80) = 280 inches

 

Step 2: Add Extra for Mitered Corners and Seams

To ensure you have enough fabric for mitered corners and joining strips, add about 10-12 inches to your total perimeter measurement. For example:

$$\text{Adjusted Perimeter }=280+12=292\text{ inches}$$

 

Step 3: Decide on Your Binding Width

The most common quilt binding is cut into strips that are 2.5 inches wide, but this can vary depending on your preference.

For standard binding:

• Use 2.5-inch wide strips.

If you want narrower or wider binding:

• Adjust accordingly, but remember that the width of the strips will impact how much fabric you need.

 

Step 4: Calculate the Number of Strips Needed

To figure out how many strips you need, divide the adjusted perimeter of the quilt by the usable width of your fabric. Most fabrics are about 40-42 inches wide after accounting for selvages.

Using 40 inches as a standard width:

Number of Strips = 292 ÷ 40 ​= 7.3 strips

Now, you can't really cut and use the ".3" of the strip, so you'll always
want to round up to the next number! We'll want to cut 8 strips.

 

Step 5: Calculate Fabric Yardage

Now that you know how many strips you need, calculate how much fabric yardage to buy. Each strip is cut across the width of the fabric (from selvage to selvage), so the total length of fabric required is based on the number of strips and the strip width.

For 8 strips, each 2.5 inches wide:

8 x 2.5 = 20 inches

$$\text{To convert that into yardage (1 yard = 36 inches):}$$

20 ÷ 36 = .55 yards 

.55 yards is just short of 5/8 yd (.625), so we are going to round up to 5/8 yd!

$$How\; much\; yardage\; will\; you\; need?\; 5/8\; yard!$$

 

Once you've done these calculations, you'll have the exact amount of fabric needed for your binding (plus a little extra!) –ensuring a smooth finish to your beautiful quilt!

Happy quilting!