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Calcimator

Backing Fabric Calculator

Calculate the total yardage of backing fabric needed, including overlap and piecing for wider quilts.

Inputs

in
in
in
in

Results

Total Fabric Yards

4.89 yd

≈ 3 adult heights

Panels Needed2
Backing Width Needed76 in
Backing Length Needed88 in
Excess Width to Trim8 in
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Quilt Width, Quilt Length, and Fabric Width.
  2. Set Overlap per Side.
  3. Review the Total Fabric Yards (yd) result.
  4. Use Panels Needed and Backing Width Needed to inform your decision.
  5. Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.

How the result changes with Fabric Width

Fabric WidthTotal Fabric Yards
444.89 yd
654.89 yd
912.45 yd
1122.45 yd

What each input means

Quilt Width
Width of your finished quilt top in inches.
Quilt Length
Length of your finished quilt top in inches.
Fabric Width
Usable width of your backing fabric in inches. Standard quilting cotton is ~42 inches.
Overlap per Side
Extra fabric beyond the quilt top on each side for quilting ease. 3-6 inches is typical.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Quilt Width = 68, Quilt Length = 80, Fabric Width = 42, Overlap per Side = 4 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total Fabric Yards
    Total Fabric Yards
    4.89 = 4.89
  3. Calculate Panels Needed
    2 = 2
  4. Calculate Backing Width Needed
    Backing Width Needed
    76 = 76

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