Quilt binding guide · updated August 2, 2026
Calculating binding for a quilt starts with the perimeter.
Add all four sides, include finishing room, divide by usable width of fabric and round the strip count up.
Total binding = 2 × width + 2 × length + finishing allowance
Strips = total binding ÷ usable WOF, rounded up
Yardage = strips × strip width ÷ 36
Start with finished dimensions.
Calculate the perimeter after borders and trimming. A binding estimate inherits any size error in the top.
Add finishing length.
Extra length covers joins, corners and final joining. YardageWise defaults to 20 inches and lets you change it.
Choose strip width before calculating fabric.
Two, 2.25, 2.5 and 3-inch strips produce different finishes and fabric totals. Follow a pattern when it specifies a method.
Use usable WOF.
The default 42-inch fabric minus 2 inches of selvage gives 40 usable inches per strip, matching a conservative width-of-fabric workflow.
Know when straight-grain math does not apply.
Curved edges typically need bias binding. The straight-grain calculator does not pretend those cutting methods are interchangeable.
Calculate binding strips and yardage →