- New Arrivals
- All Quilting Cotton Fabrics
- Cotton Fabric Collections
- Plain Cotton Solids
- Basics and Blender Fabrics
- Fabric Pre-Cuts and Bundles
- Fabric Panels
- Cotton Border Prints
- Licensed Quilting Fabrics
- Landscape Quilting Fabrics
- Cotton Poplin Fabrics
- Polycotton Fabrics
- Cotton Flannel Fabrics
- Christmas Quilting Fabrics & Panels
- Metallic Cotton Fabrics
- Anna Maria Textiles
- 3 Wishes Fabric
- Craft Cotton Company
- Camelot Fabrics
- Clothworks
- Dashwood Studio
- Dan Morris
- Debbie Shore
- Fabric Freedom
- Free Spirit
- Figo Fabrics
- Hannah Dale - Wrendale Designs
- Henry Glass
- In the Beginning Fabrics
- Jason Yenter
- Liberty Fabric
- Lori Holt
- Make + Believe
- Makower UK
- Maywood Studio
- Moda Fabrics
- Northcott Fabrics
- Quilting Treasures
- Riley Blake
- Robert Kaufman
- The Crafty Pie
- Tula Pink Fabrics
- William Morris by V & A
- Floral Quilting Fabric
- Botanical and Leaf
- Ditsy Print Fabric
- Stripes, Checks and Plaids
- Spot Quilting Fabric
- Modern and Geometric Fabric
- Animal and Wildlife
- Childrens, Baby and Nursery
- Fantasy and Fairytale
- Novelty Quilting Fabric
- Damask and Toile Quilting Fabric
- Home & Farmhouse
- Tone on Tone
- Easter and Spring
- Christmas Fabric
- Halloween Fabric
- Autumn & Harvest
- Nautical and Coastal
- Animal Print
- Gothic and Skulls
- New Arrivals
- All Dressmaking Fabrics
- Cotton Lawn
- Cotton Poplin and Shirting
- Dressmaking Cotton
- Viscose and Tencel
- Cotton Jersey
- Viscose Jersey
- French Terry
- Sweatshirt Fabric
- Ribbing and Cuffing
- Denim and Chambray
- Wool, Wool Blends and Boucle
- Linen and Linen Blends
- Double Gauze and Seersucker
- Broderie Anglaise and Lace
- Corduroy
- Polycotton
- Polyester
- Twill and Drill
- Gingham, Tartan and Check
- Velvet and Velour
- Faux Silk and Silk
- Sequin and Embellished Fabric
- Chiffon and Georgette
- Anti-Static Lining
- Calico, Muslin and Hessian
- Dress Net
- Crepe and Satin
- Towelling Fabric
- All Dressmaking Tools
- Machine Needles
- Straight Pins
- Thread
- Zips
- Elastic
- Interfacing and Stabilisers
- Marking and Tracing Tools
- Rulers and Measuring Tools
- Cutting Tools
- Buttons
- Self Cover Buttons
- Bias Binding
- Ribbon, Trim and Elastic
- Fastenings and Hardware
- Hemming and Fusing
- Snips and Rippers
- Pattern Weights
- Sewing Patterns
- Dressmaking Patterns
Quilting Calculators - Bias Binding, Quilt Backing Fabric, Block & Fat Quarter Calculator
Quilting Calculators
Free tools to help you plan your quilt — from working out how much binding to buy, to how many blocks you need. All calculators work in both centimetres and inches.
Binding Calculator
Work out how much binding you need for your quilt. Choose whether you are buying pre-made binding, cutting straight grain strips from fabric, or making your own bias cut binding.
Use this to work out how much pre-made bias binding to buy, or the total length of binding you need to cut — whether on the straight grain or on the bias. The total length needed is the same either way.
Add at least 25–30cm (10–12 inches) extra to allow for mitring the corners and joining the binding ends neatly. If you are unsure, add a little more — it is always better to have too much than too little.
Quilt Backing Fabric Calculator
Work out how much fabric you need to make the back of your quilt. Choose whether your fabric can be rotated (plain or non-directional prints) or whether it must run in one direction (directional prints, stripes, or patterns that must flow the same way).
For plain fabrics, blenders, and non-directional prints. The calculator works out the most economical way to cut and join the fabric — rotating the pieces if it uses less fabric.
We recommend at least 10cm (4 inches) overhang on each side to allow for quilting take-up and trimming when you square up the finished quilt — longarm quilters often ask for more, so check with yours. The calculator allows for trimming off the selvedges and for the seams joining the widths, so your backing will definitely be big enough. Using a wide backing fabric (e.g. 270cm) usually means no joins at all.
Batting & Wadding Calculator
Work out what size batting or wadding you need for your quilt. Batting is the layer of padding that goes between the quilt top and the backing. It needs to be larger than the quilt top on all sides to allow for quilting take-up — the stitching pulls the layers together slightly and reduces the overall size.
8–10cm overhang on each side is recommended for most projects. Use 10cm if you are doing dense quilting or using a high loft batting, as the quilting process can cause the layers to draw in slightly. Always buy batting slightly larger than you think you need — you can trim it down but you cannot add to it.
Quilt Block Calculator
Work out how many blocks you need to fill your quilt, and what size to cut them. Enter the finished block size — the size the block will be once it is sewn into the quilt — and the calculator will add the seam allowance to give you the cut size automatically.
The finished block size is the size after all seams are sewn. The cut size is larger to allow for the seam allowance on all four sides. For example, a 20cm finished block with a 6mm seam allowance needs to be cut at 21.2cm, and an 8 inch finished block with a ¼ inch seam allowance is cut at 8½ inches. The standard quilting seam allowance is 6mm (¼ inch).
Fat Quarter Calculator
A fat quarter is a quarter metre of fabric cut into a squarer, more useful shape — a half metre length cut in half down the middle, rather than one long thin strip. Fat quarters are ideal for patchwork projects where you need a range of fabrics in smaller quantities. This calculator works out how many you need for your quilt top.
This works out fabric for the quilt top only, with extra built in for seam allowances and cutting waste. Use the other tabs to work out your backing, batting and binding. For large blocks, borders, or sashing, you may be better buying fabric by the metre.
Seam Allowance Converter
A seam allowance is the extra fabric between the cut edge of your fabric and the stitching line. It is there to stop the seam from fraying and coming apart over time. Use this to work out the finished size of a piece once it is sewn, or how large to cut a piece to end up with a specific finished size.
Quilting uses 6mm (¼ inch) seam allowances as standard — this gives a strong seam without using too much fabric. Dressmaking typically uses 1.5cm (⅝ inch) seam allowances, which gives more room to adjust the fit. Always check your pattern for the seam allowance it uses before you start cutting — mixing up seam allowances is one of the most common causes of blocks not fitting together correctly.