Enough binding to go all the way around. Count the strips and every join before you make the first cut.
Your quilt project
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Use your quilt top dimensions. This project follows you between calculators. All measurements are in inches.
1
Plan your binding
These are straight-grain strips cut across the width of fabric. A diagonal join does not turn them into bias binding. Curved edges may need true bias binding.
One continuous strip, four neat corners.
2
Your binding plan
Fabric to buy
½ yards
0.5 yd decimal · rounded up to ⅛ yd
Calculated fabric: 0.4861 yd before rounding
Strips to cut72 ½ in wide
Joined strip length265 in6 joins included
Quilt perimeter
230 in
Working allowance
12 in total
Length needed
242 in
Loss at each join
2.5 in
Fabric length to cut strips
17.5 in
We choose the smallest whole strip count for which n × WOF − (n − 1) × join loss covers perimeter + 12 in. The final closure uses the working allowance; it is not charged again as another open-chain join.
Includes joins. Add your own allowance for shrinkage or mistakes.
Your cutting & sewing steps
Cut 7 straight-grain strips, each 2 ½ in wide × 40 in usable WOF, with selvages removed.
Lay successive strips at right angles, sew a 45° diagonal across the overlap, then trim to ¼ in and press open. Each join uses 2 ½ in of strip length.
After 6 joins, the open chain is 265 in long. Fold lengthwise in half and press for double-fold binding.
Attach following your pattern’s seam allowance and miter the four corners. The 12 in working allowance covers corners, handling and joining the final ends; it is one total allowance, not 12 in per end.
2½ in is a common starting width for double-fold binding. 2¼ in or 2 in gives a narrower finish; choose for your batting, attachment method and pattern. The calculator estimates fabric, not the finished binding width.
QuiltCutCalc · quiltcutcalc.com
Quilt binding cutting card
My quilt project · Quilt top 50 × 65 in
Buy ½ yd (0.5 yd)
Calculated 0.4861 yd · 7 strips × 2 ½ in × 40 in WOF · 45° diagonal joins
Perimeter + working allowance
230 + 12 = 242 in
Joined open-chain length
265 in
Join loss
6 × 2.5 in
Cut 7 straight-grain strips, each 2 ½ in wide × 40 in usable WOF, with selvages removed.
Lay successive strips at right angles, sew a 45° diagonal across the overlap, then trim to ¼ in and press open. Each join uses 2 ½ in of strip length.
After 6 joins, the open chain is 265 in long. Fold lengthwise in half and press for double-fold binding.
Attach following your pattern’s seam allowance and miter the four corners. The 12 in working allowance covers corners, handling and joining the final ends; it is one total allowance, not 12 in per end.
Purchase sizes round up to ⅛ yard. Check fabric width and seam accuracy before cutting. Allow separately for shrinkage, print matching and mistakes.
How many binding strips and yards do I need after joining?
Enter quilt dimensions, cut-strip width, usable WOF and join type in inches. Needed length is 2×(width+length)+12. Choose the smallest whole n satisfying n×WOF−(n−1)×loss ≥ needed; loss equals strip width for diagonal joins or ½ inch for ¼-inch straight seams. Yardage is n×strip-width÷36, rounded up to ⅛ yard. Straight-grain binding only.
WOF excludes selvages. The 12 inches is one total working allowance, including final closure. Strip widths are cutting sizes, not finished binding widths. Add shrinkage or print matching separately; use a different cutting plan for true bias binding.
Formula implementation and source pages checked . This is a calculation and documentation check; sew a test sample before cutting a full batch.
Strip width is a cutting size
Choose 2½, 2¼ or 2 inches to suit your batting and attachment method. These are cut widths for double-fold binding, not the visible finished width around the quilt.
Whole strips, including all the joins
Available length = n × WOF − (n − 1) × join loss. For a 55 × 75 inch quilt, 40-inch WOF and 2½-inch diagonal joins, the 272-inch target needs 8 strips. Seven provide only 265 inches; eight provide 302.5 inches.
Fabric to cut, fabric to buy
Eight 2½-inch strips need 20 inches of fabric length. That is 20 ÷ 36 yards before rounding; buy ⅝ yard when rounding upward to ⅛ yard. The calculation assumes full usable strips, with no shrinkage or pattern matching.
A few helpful answers
Before you cut
How many binding strips do I need?+
Measure the perimeter, add a total 12-inch working allowance, then account for the loss at every join between strips. This calculator chooses the smallest whole number of strips whose joined open-chain length covers that total.
How much length does joining binding strips use?+
For a 45-degree diagonal join, the loss is one cut strip width per join. For a straight join with a quarter-inch seam allowance on each piece, the loss is half an inch per join. An open chain made from n strips has n minus 1 joins.
Is the 12-inch allowance per end?+
No. It is one total working allowance for the four corners, handling and final end closure. The final closure is covered by that allowance and is not counted again as an extra open-chain join.
Does this calculate bias binding?+
No. It calculates straight-grain strips cut across the usable width of fabric. Joining those strips diagonally reduces bulk but does not make bias-grain binding. A quilt with curved edges may require a different bias cutting plan.