Quilt Strip Calculator: Strips to Yardage to Buy

Work out strip yardage before you cut. Enter strip cut width and number of strips needed, and see strips per yard, total fabric length needed, exact yardage and yardage to buy, with the formula in steps.

Calculate your strip yardage

Total fabric length needed in

Number of strips needed

Number of strips needed is a whole number, greater than zero. Count strips by fabric, not by quilt, if different fabrics use different strip widths.

This calculator is for total length you already worked out, from another calculator or from your pattern. It does not calculate piece counts or backing size. For piece counts, use the Fabric Calculator. For backing size, use the Backing Calculator.

This calculator works out yardage for full width strips only. Each strip is assumed to run across the full fabric width, so strip length equals fabric width. For shorter strips, or for finished pieces, use the Pieces to Yardage Calculator or the Fabric Calculator.

Your result

Enter your measurements, then calculate.

How the calculator works

Step 1: Total fabric length needed

Total fabric length needed equals number of strips times strip cut width, because each full width strip uses one strip width of length along the fabric roll. For 12 strips of 2.5 inch width, total fabric length needed equals 12 times 2.5, equals 30 inches.

Step 2: Strips per yard

Strips per yard equals 36 divided by strip cut width, rounded down to a whole number, because a partial strip cannot be cut. For 2.5 inch strip width, strips per yard equals 36 divided by 2.5, equals 14.4, rounded down to 14 strips.

Step 3: Exact yardage

Exact yardage equals total fabric length needed divided by 36, because one yard equals 36 inches. For total length 30 inches, exact yardage equals 30 divided by 36, equals 0.83 yards, rounded at two decimal places.

Step 4: Yardage to buy

Yardage to buy is exact yardage rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard, because fabric shops cut in eighth yard increments, and rounding down would give you less fabric than you need. For exact yardage 0.83 yards, yardage to buy equals 0.88 yards, because 0.875 rounds to 0.88 at two decimal places.

Assumptions, shown next to the result

Strips are full width strips, cut across the full fabric width, so strip length equals fabric width. Strip cut width is used as entered, with no seam allowance added, because cut width already includes any seam allowance. No extra is added for mistakes or shrinkage, beyond rounding yardage up. If you want extra, add extra strips before calculating, or use the Yardage Calculator, which has an extra percent field.

Strip yardage chart

This chart uses the same formula as the calculator: total length equals number of strips times strip cut width, exact yardage equals total length divided by 36, yardage to buy is exact yardage rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard. Strip width is 2.5 inches for all rows.

Number of strips	Total length	Yardage to buy
4 strips	10 inches	0.38 yards
8 strips	20 inches	0.63 yards
12 strips	30 inches	0.88 yards
20 strips	50 inches	1.50 yards
40 strips	100 inches	2.88 yards

Chart values are a guide for the strip counts shown. Your own strip width and strip count may give a different result. Use the calculator above for your own measurements.

Worked example, checked against the calculator

Strip cut width 2.5 inches, number of strips needed 12.

Total fabric length needed: 12 times 2.5 equals 30 inches.

Strips per yard: 36 divided by 2.5 equals 14.4, rounded down to 14 strips.

Exact yardage: 30 divided by 36 equals 0.83 yards.

Yardage to buy, rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard, equals 0.88 yards.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate yardage for quilt strips?

Multiply number of strips by strip cut width to get total fabric length needed, divide by 36 to get exact yardage, then round up to the nearest eighth yard to get yardage to buy. For example, 12 strips of 2.5 inch width need 30 inches total, which is 0.83 yards exact, and 0.88 yards to buy.

What is a full width strip?

A full width strip is cut across the full width of the fabric, from selvedge to selvedge. Its length equals fabric width, and its width is the cut width you enter. This calculator assumes full width strips.

How many strips can I cut from one yard?

Strips per yard equals 36 divided by strip cut width, rounded down to a whole number, because a partial strip cannot be cut. For 2.5 inch strip width, strips per yard equals 14.

🧵