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Calculate how many yards of fabric you need for a sewing project. Plan pattern layout, width, and repeats to buy the right amount of material.
Calculate quilt backing fabric needed including overhang and seam allowance. Size backing for longarm, domestic machine, or hand quilting projects.
Calculate seam allowance adjustments for pattern alterations and garment fitting. Add or subtract ease when resizing or modifying sewing patterns.
Sum all sides and add extra for mitered corners and joining tail overlap — typically 12–15 inches.
Binding length = 2 × (width + length) + 12Divide total binding length by usable strip length cut across fabric width (width minus selvage).
Strips needed = ceil(binding length / usable WOF length)Multiply strip count by cut width and convert to yards, or use bias square method for continuous bias.
Yardage = (strips × strip width) / 36Updated: July 2026
Perimeter 168 inches + 12 = 180 inches binding. At 2.5-inch strip width on 42-inch WOF, five strips ≈ ⅜ yard.
Large perimeter exceeds single strip — plan 8–10 WOF strips or continuous bias from larger fabric square.
Join shorter strips until total meets calculated length — include diagonal seam losses in yardage buffer.
Always add 12+ inches to raw perimeter. Miters and tail overlap consume binding quickly.
Directional binding prints may need bias or specific cut direction — plan layout before calculating strip count from WOF.
Quilt binding finishes raw edges with a folded strip sewn to the front and wrapped to the back. Enter quilt dimensions, binding width, and strip type (bias or straight) to get total strip length, number of strips, and fabric yardage.