When it comes to buying fabric, how do
you know how much to get so you’ve got
enough but aren’t left with too many
scraps? Most projects and patterns list
how much fabric you need for the various
parts of your quilt, but if you want to create
your own design then calculating how much
fabric to buy can be daunting at first. Don’t
worry, just keep this guide to hand and you’ll
be able to work out exactly what you need.How big will
your quilt be?
Before you buy anything, sketch out a design
for your project. There’s a list of common UK
and US quilt sizes below to get you started- you might want to add extra drape around
the edges of a standard size, depending on
your design. If you’re making a bedspread,
measure the length, width and height of your
mattress, then add as much extra fabric as
you’d like to allow for the quilt to hang down
below the edges. Or you can always just
measure a bedspread that you already have
and use that as your finished size guide!
If you’re not making a bedspread then you’re
free to make your playmat, wall hanging or
whatever else you fancy, to any size you like.How much fabric
do you need?
Once you’ve got an idea of your finished
quilt size measurements, you can work out
how much fabric you’ll need. You should
have one or more fabric pieces to sew
together to make the backing, plus fabric for
the quilt top and binding. Always buy slightly
larger pieces of fabric than the pattern
dictates. Cotton fabrics and batting will
shrink when washed, so it’s a good idea to
multiply quilt measurements by 1.05 to allow
for 5% shrinkage. You should also leave a
little extra fabric for seam allowances. The
more complicated your design, the more
additional fabric you’ll need. If you’ll be
working with lots of blocks made up fromBefore you start a project you’ll need to
work out how much fabric you need. Here’s how...HOW MUCH
FABRIC DO
YOU NEED?
many small pieces of
fabric, you’ll need to allow
for each piece’s seams. To
work out how much fabric you’ll need for the
quilt top, draw a sketch of your quilt top
design and add in measurements for the
different parts. Start with the border and
outer seam allowance, then take this away
from the quilt width and you’ll know how
wide an area you have to fill. You’ll probably
find it easiest to make your blocks or shapes
to a standard size that’s easy to work out,
then adjust your border strips to enable your
smaller units to fill the width of the quilt. For
advice about calculating your backing fabric,
see ‘All About Making Quilts’ on page 52.UK quilt cover sizes
Cot or crib 47in x 55in (120cm x 140cm)
Single 55in x 79in (140cm x 200cm)
Double 79in x 79in (200cm x 200cm)
King size 89in x 87in (225cm × 220cm)
Super King size 102in x 87in (260cm × 220cm)
US quilt cover sizes
Crib 36in x 54in (91cm x 137cm)
Twin 65in x 88in (165cm x 224cm)
Full/double 80in x 88in (203cm x 224cm)
Queen 86in x 93in (218cm x 246cm)
King 104in x 93in (264cm x 236.22cm)COMMON BEDDING SIZES*
In cm In cm
/0.3 258 6.7
¼0.62¾ 7(^38) 0.9 278 7. 3
½1.2 3 7.6
(^58) 1.5 318 7.9
¾ 1.8 3¼ 8.3
(^78) 2.1 338 8.6
1 2.5 3½ 8.9
118 2.9 358 9. 2
1¼ 3.2 3¾ 9.5
138 3.5 378 9.8
1½ 3.8 4 10.2
158 4.1 418 10.5
1¾ 4.4 4¼ 10.8
178 4.8 438 11.1
2 5 4½ 11.4
218 5.4 458 11.7
2¼ 5.7 4¾ 12
238 6478 12.4
2½ 6.4 5 12.7
*Before you buy, check the size against the bed you’re making
for. Remember the quilting saying: “measure twice, cut once!”