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How much backing fabric for any quilt size — both 44″-wide and 108″-wide options, with piecing requirements.
Backing yardage depends on your finished quilt dimensions — if you're still choosing, the standard quilt sizes chart lists every size from baby to king with backing and batting requirements.
| Quilt Size | 44″ fabric | Wide-back |
|---|---|---|
| Baby / Crib | 2.75 yds | 1.5 ydsof 108″ |
| Throw / Lap | 4 yds | 2 ydsof 108″ |
| Twin | 5.5 yds | 2.25 ydsof 108″ |
| Full / Double | 7.5 yds | 2.5 ydsof 108″ |
| Queen | 8.25 yds | 3.25 ydsof 108″ |
| King | 9.75 yds | 3.25 ydsof 120″ |
Backing is cut 4″ larger than the quilt top on all sides — the same size as the batting you buy. Yardage assumes 42″ usable from a 44″ bolt and is rounded up to the next quarter yard, so there is no need to add extra. A king is the one size wide-back doesn't solve on its own: its 116″ backing is wider than a 108″ bolt, so the figure above is for 120″ wide-back.
Solids and wide-back options work well for a clean backing with no piecing.
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A queen quilt (90×108") needs 8¼ yards of 44"-wide backing fabric: the backing finishes at 98×116", which takes three widths seamed together. If you use 108"-wide wide-back fabric, 3¼ yards covers it with no seam at all.
Add 8" to both the quilt width and height (4" on each side) — that is your backing size, and also the batting size to buy. For 44"-wide fabric, a width gives about 42" usable once the selvages come off. Divide the backing width by 42 and round UP: that is how many widths you need. Multiply that count by the backing length, then divide by 36 for yards, and round up to the next quarter yard. It is often cheaper to turn the backing a quarter turn and seam the other way, so run the same sum both ways and take the smaller answer.
Wide-back fabric is quilting cotton woven at 108" (90", 118", or 120" widths are also common). It eliminates the need to piece a quilt backing from multiple widths of standard 44"-wide fabric. It costs more per yard but saves time and cuts total yardage by roughly 60%. One caution on kings: a king backing measures 116×116", which is wider than a 108" bolt, so a king still needs a seam unless you buy 120" wide-back.
Many quilters pre-wash backing fabric to preshrink it and remove sizing. Cotton fabric can shrink 2–5% when first washed. If your quilt top is pre-washed, the backing should be too, or the finished quilt may pucker unevenly after the first wash.