How Many Yards of Fabric for a Queen Size Quilt? (With My Big Block Quilt!)
If you’re wondering how many yards of fabric you need for a queen size quilt, I’m going to tell you today. I just finished this free quilt pattern, a big block churn dash quilt made with leftover scraps from the scrappy Happy Christmas quilt and a festive Riley Blake holiday print for the backing fabric. In this post, I’ll break down exactly how much fabric I used for the quilt top, backing, and binding. And of course I’ll show you the finished quilt just in time for the holidays in case you want to go grab the free pattern and make one yourself.
Whether you’re planning your own Christmas quilt or just want to know the yardage before you head to the fabric store, this guide will give you real numbers from a real quilt. Please note that when quoting fabric amounts, it’s the amount of yardage with a standard 42-44″ width of fabric. Some brands are 42″ wide, some are 44″ wide. You can use any type of fabric but obviously quilting cotton works best in quilts.
You can always do some simple math to figure out how many fat quarters or jelly rolls you will need. Just google how many fat quarters are in one yard of standard width fabric. I’ll be honest, since I make up my quilts and just use fabric as I go, determining the total yardage requirements is impossible for me.
Figuring out total yardage for the quilt back is always easier than determining how many of each fabric in your different colors is harder. It’s always a good idea to get a little extra fabric just so you have some on hand in case the fabric store discontinues it or has sold out.
How Big Is a Queen Size Quilt?
A standard queen size quilt usually measures around 90″ x 100″ — give or take a few inches, depending on how much drape you like over the sides of your bed. My version lands right in that range and includes:
- 20 churn dash blocks (17″ big blocks)
- Scrappy sashing in between blocks and rows
- Traditional 2.5″ width binding
- A pieced backing (back of the quilt)
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THESE OUT!
After you read this post, make sure you also check out Learn How to Quilt for Absolute Beginners. It’s jam packed with information to make your first quilt. It also has links and resources that are so helpful when you’re first learning. There’s lots of free quilt patterns that are great for beginners and all skill levels too. So make sure you check this out, seriously don’t forget!
Make sure you grab a copy of my free Quilt Planning Journal. It’s filled with graph paper and note pages to help you design at least 4 quilt or sewing projects! Use it to jot down ideas, fabrics, patterns and inspiration all in one place. Or create your own patterns and share with others. Pin in fabric swatches, photos of your finished quilts and enjoy your creative process!
How Many Yards of Fabric for a Queen Size Quilt Top?
Here’s the breakdown for my churn dash queen quilt top:
- Churn Dash Blocks (Scrappy): About 5.5 yards total, pulled from leftover Christmas scraps in red, green, and low volume fabrics from the Happy Christmas Quilt.
- Sashing and Borders: About 1.5 yards total (used one holiday stripe and a coordinating solid)
Total for quilt top: ~7 yards
This could vary depending on your block size. Since I used big blocks, it helped me cover more area with less piecing and less fabric waste!
How Many Yards for Queen Size Quilt Backing?
For a 90″ x 100″ quilt, you’ll typically need about 8.5 yards of standard 42–44″ wide fabric (cut and pieced into panels). But here’s what I did:
- Main Backing Fabric: 5 yards of Riley Blake holiday print
- Scrappy Pieced Strip (accent): 2.5 yards worth of scraps pieced into a diagonal stripe to make the backing wide enough and give it a unique look
Total backing: ~7.5 yards
You could also use a 108″ wide backing if you want to avoid piecing. In that case, you’d only need about 3.75 yards.
How Many Yards for Quilt Binding?
- I used the leftover fabric from the holiday back so no extra fabric was needed. However, I had 3/4 yard of assorted red fabrics that I was going to use. I used about 400 inches of double-fold binding.
Tip: For a queen quilt, you’ll usually need between 3/4 to 1 yard depending on your strip width and if you like diagonal joins.
See My Finished Queen Churn Dash Quilt!
I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out. The big churn dash blocks make a bold statement, and I love how the scrappy holiday fabrics give it that cozy, handmade Christmas feel. Still not sure if I’m going to keep this, gift this or sell it on my Etsy shop. I’ll let you know.
Want to make your own big block churn dash quilt? Click here.
Get the digital pattern.
Get the Churn Dash block quilt pattern and make a quilt of any size yourself, click here.
Final Fabric Yardage Recap
| Quilt Part | Fabric Used | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Churn Dash Blocks (Scrappy) | Cotton prints | ~5.5 yards |
| Sashing and Borders | Low volume scraps | 1.5 yards |
| Backing (Pieced) | Holiday print + scraps | 7.5 yards |
| Binding | Red polka dot | 3/4 yard but used backing |
Total Yardage: ~15 yards of fabric
Here’s a clean and useful fabric yardage chart for quilt sizes from baby to California King, covering quilt top, backing, batting, and binding.
Fabric Yardage Estimates by Quilt Size
| Quilt Size | Quilt Dimensions (approx) | Quilt Top (Yards)* | Backing (Yards)** | Batting (Inches) | Binding (Yards) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby | 36″ x 45″ | 1.25 – 1.75 | 1.5 – 2 | 45″ x 60″ | ⅜ – ½ |
| Lap Throw | 50″ x 65″ | 2.5 – 3 | 3.5 – 4 | 60″ x 75″ | ½ |
| Twin | 70″ x 90″ | 5 – 6.5 | 5.5 – 6.5 | 75″ x 96″ | ⅝ |
| Full/Double | 80″ x 90″ | 6 – 7.5 | 6.5 – 7.5 | 81″ x 96″ | ¾ |
| Queen | 90″ x 100″ | 7.5 – 9.5 | 8.5 – 9 | 96″ x 108″ | ¾ – 1 |
| King | 110″ x 110″ | 9.5 – 11 | 10 – 11 | 120″ x 120″ | 1 – 1¼ |
| California King | 114″ x 117″ | 10 – 12 | 11 – 12.5 | 120″ x 120″ | 1¼ – 1½ |
Notes & Disclaimers:
- Quilt Top Yardage: Based on simple layouts with moderate piecing. Intricate quilt blocks, borders, or fussy cutting will require more fabric. Scrappy quilts may use more or less depending on your stash and layout.
- Backing Yardage: Assumes 42–44″ wide fabric, seamed horizontally or vertically as needed. For quilts larger than 60″ wide, you’ll need to piece your backing or use 108″ wide fabric, which reduces total yardage needed.
- Batting Sizes: These are standard pre-packaged batting sizes. You can also buy batting by the yard if you need custom cuts.
- Binding Estimates: Assumes 2.5″ wide double-fold binding with diagonal joins and ~10″ tail for finishing.
Posts You Might Like
Curious how I finished the binding? Binding basics and how to sew binding onto your quilt guide.
Wondering which batting size to buy? Let me show you how to choice the right batting.
Need help with you quilt design? Top 3 machine quilting patterns on your home sewing machine.
Having an idea of the total fabric yardage is very useful. It helps you calculate the cost of your first project if you’ve never done a large quilt. For more free beginner quilt patterns, check out my pattern index.
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Resources
Looking for easy quilt patterns? Then head on over to my free “Pattern Index”. It’s a page dedicated to all of my free patterns separated by categories for crochet, sewing and quilting.
If you prefer an ad-free printable version, head over to my shop and browse the Digital Patterns. These are instant digital downloads you print yourself.
Beginner Advice
When I was just starting my quilt journey, I had no idea that queen and king size quilts used so much yardage. 15 yards for a queen size quilt is a lot when you are paying full price the your different fabric. And wide back fabric is easier to use than piecing standard width fabric for quilt backs. Having large pieces of fabric (yardage) in plain fabrics (like solid white or off white background fabrics) is good to have on hand all the time.
The nice thing about making scrappy quilts is that you are using different size pieces of fabric to make your quilt. You can also use a bed sheet for the backing, it’s also less expensive than buying 7.5 yards of regular priced fabric that is typically around $15/yard.. When shopping for fabric, make sure you account for the width of the fabric.
ABOUT SEW NIKKI
If this is your first time stopping by, welcome! I’m Nikki, a maker obsessed with quilting, crochet, and all things fabric. Here, you’ll find easy-to-follow patterns, helpful tutorials, and plenty of inspiration for your next handmade project. Grab your fabric (or yarn), and let’s create something beautiful together!
I’ve been mostly making throw quilts, so it was kind of fun to machine quilt a queen size again. If I do another larger quilt, I may send it out to a longarm quilter and give that a try. My personal preference has been to make my entire quilt from start to finish but there is something about a cool quilt design that you just can’t do on your home sewing machine. The length of the quilt is nice and long so it covers the bed frame nicely.
Let me know in the comments: do you plan your fabric yardage before you start, or do you fly by the seat of your pants like I always do?
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