Quilt Border Yardage Calculator: Yardage for One, Two or Three Borders

Work out border yardage before you cut. Enter quilt top size and up to three border widths, and see each border yardage rounded up on its own, with the formula in steps.

Calculate your border yardage

Quilt top width in

Quilt top length in

Border type

Border 1 width in

Border 1 is the inner border, next to the quilt top. Its width is the finished width, on each side.

Border 2 width in (optional)

Border 2 is the next border out. Leave it at 0 if you have only one border.

Border 3 width in (optional)

Border 3 is optional, for a third border outside Border 2.

Fabric width

Seam allowance for joined strips in

Seam allowance is used at miter ends for mitered borders, and when strips are joined end to end. It is the amount lost at each join.

This calculator works out straight and mitered borders, one at a time, in order from inner border to outer border. For strip lengths of a single border in detail, use the Border Calculator or the Mitered Border Calculator.

Your result

Enter your measurements, then calculate.

How the calculator works

Step 1: One border at a time, in order

Start with the quilt top. Calculate Border 1 first. Its finished size becomes the top size for Border 2. Border 2 finished size becomes the top size for Border 3. This order matters, because each outer border must span a wider top than the border inside it.

Step 2: Finished size per border

For each border, finished width equals current width plus 2 times border width. Finished length equals current length plus 2 times border width. Border width is added on each side, so it is counted twice.

Step 3: Strip lengths per border

For straight borders, side strip length equals current length, and top and bottom strip length equals current width plus 2 times border width. For mitered borders, side strip cut length equals current length plus 2 times border width plus 2 times seam allowance, and top and bottom strip cut length equals current width plus 2 times border width plus 2 times seam allowance.

Step 4: Strips and yardage per border

Total strip length per border equals 2 times side strip length plus 2 times top and bottom strip length. If total length fits in one fabric width, you need 1 strip. If not, each extra strip adds fabric width minus seam allowance, because seam allowance is lost at each join. Strips are rounded up. Fabric length per border equals strips times cut width. Cut width equals finished border width plus seam allowance on both sides. Exact yardage per border equals fabric length divided by 36 in inch mode.

Step 5: Total yardage

Yardage per border is rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard, then added together for total yardage to buy. This is because each border is usually a different fabric, bought separately. In centimetre mode, metres per border are rounded up to the nearest 0.1 metre, then added together. The unit toggle changes all inputs, outputs and rounding together.

Assumptions, shown next to the result

Fabric width is the nominal width. Seam allowance applies at miter ends for mitered borders, at strip joins, and at both sides of each strip, which is why cut width is wider than finished border width. No extra is added for cutting mistakes, shrinkage, or print matching. If you want a print to match across a miter, buy extra beyond the calculator result.

Yardage chart by quilt size

This chart uses the same formula as the calculator: two straight borders, 2 inches inner and 4 inches outer, 44 inch fabric, 0.5 inch seam allowance, yardage rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard per border, then added together.

Quilt size	Top size	Final finished size	Border 1 yardage	Border 2 yardage	Total to buy
Baby	36 by 48 in	48 by 60 in	0.38 yards	0.63 yards	1.00 yard
Lap	50 by 60 in	62 by 72 in	0.38 yards	0.75 yards	1.13 yards
Twin	68 by 88 in	80 by 100 in	0.50 yards	1.00 yard	1.50 yards
Full	80 by 92 in	92 by 104 in	0.50 yards	1.00 yard	1.50 yards
Queen	90 by 108 in	102 by 120 in	0.63 yards	1.13 yards	1.75 yards
King	108 by 108 in	120 by 120 in	0.63 yards	1.25 yards	1.88 yards

Chart yardage is a guide for the sizes and border widths shown. Your exact top size, border widths, border type and fabric width may give a different result. Use the calculator above for your own measurements.

Worked example, checked against the calculator

Top size 60 by 72 inches, Border 1 width 2 inches, Border 2 width 4 inches, both straight, fabric width 44 inches, seam allowance 0.5 inch.

Border 1: finished size 64 by 76 inches. Side strips 2 times 72 inches, top and bottom strips 2 times 64 inches, total 272 inches. Strips equal 1 plus the ceiling of (272 minus 44) divided by 43.5, which is 7 strips. Fabric length 7 times 3 inches of cut width equals 21 inches. Cut width equals finished border width 2 inches plus seam allowance 0.5 inch on both sides, which is 3 inches. Exact yardage 21 divided by 36 equals 0.58 yards. Yardage to buy, rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard, equals 0.63 yards.

Border 2: start from 64 by 76 inches, not from the original top. Finished size 72 by 84 inches. Side strips 2 times 76 inches, top and bottom strips 2 times 72 inches, total 296 inches. Strips equal 1 plus the ceiling of (296 minus 44) divided by 43.5, which is 7 strips. Fabric length 7 times 5 inches of cut width equals 35 inches. Cut width equals finished border width 4 inches plus seam allowance 0.5 inch on both sides, which is 5 inches. Exact yardage 35 divided by 36 equals 0.97 yards. Yardage to buy equals 1.00 yard.

Total yardage to buy: 0.63 plus 1.00 equals 1.63 yards, for two different border fabrics.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate border yardage for more than one border?

Calculate one border at a time. The finished size from the first border becomes the top size for the second border, and the finished size from the second becomes the top size for the third. This calculator does that in order, and it adds yardage per border.

Is border yardage the same for straight and mitered borders?

Not always. Mitered strips are cut longer, because each end needs border width extra for the 45 degree corner, plus seam allowance. For some sizes the strip count is the same, so yardage matches. For other sizes a mitered border needs an extra strip. Choose border type in the calculator above.

Why is yardage rounded up per border, not only at the end?

Because each border is usually a different fabric, so each border must be bought separately. Rounding up per border gives the yardage to buy for each fabric. If all borders use the same fabric, the total will be slightly conservative, which is safer than coming up short.

How much fabric do I need for a quilt border?

It depends on top size, border widths, border type and fabric width. Use the calculator above with your top size, each border width, border type and fabric width. The result shows yardage per border and in total.

Can I leave a border width blank?

Yes. Border 1 is required. Border 2 and Border 3 are optional. Leave a border at 0 if you do not need it, and it will be skipped in the calculation.

What if all my borders use the same fabric?

Then the calculator total is still safe, but it may be a little more than the minimum, because each border was rounded up separately. If you want the minimum for one fabric, add exact yardages together first, then round up once, using the Border Calculator method for each border in order.

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