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Per-block batting and backing size, how many blocks you need, and how to join them — no longarm required.
30 blocks (5 × 6) at 12″ finish at 60″ × 72″ — the same count you would piece the traditional way.
Per-block batting and backing
Cut 30 batting squares and 30 backing squares at 16″ × 16″ (2″ past the block on every side).
Backing: 6¾ yd — 2 per strip across 40″ usable × 15 strips. Batting: 2¾ yd of 90″-wide — 5 per row × 6 rows.
Cover strips
29 seams to cover (6 rows × 4 between blocks, plus 5 between rows): 588″ of strip cut 1½″ wide.
¾ yd — 15 strips across the fabric, joined end to end. One strip per seam; if your method covers both sides, double it.
Yardage counts whole strips across 40″ of usable width and rounds up to the next ¼ yd. Overhang scraps come off after quilting; the trimmed edge is what gets joined.
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Cut both batting and backing 2″ larger than the block on every side (4″ larger total, in each direction). Scale this up or down for other block sizes: batting/backing size = block size + 4″.
| Quilt Size | Grid | Blocks Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Baby / Crib | 3 × 4 | 12 |
| Throw / Lap | 5 × 6 | 30 |
| Twin | 5 × 7 | 35 |
| Full / Double | 6 × 8 | 48 |
| Queen | 7 × 9 | 63 |
| King | 9 × 9 | 81 |
Set without sashing. For a different block size, use the block calculator — QAYG needs the same block count as traditional piecing.
Once each block is individually layered and quilted, join them one of two ways. Sew-and-flip: lay two quilted blocks right sides together and sew through all layers, then fold a fabric strip over the seam and stitch it down (by hand or machine) to cover the raw batting edge — fast, forgiving of slightly uneven block sizes. Flat-join with sashing: trim the batting and backing back from the block's raw edge, then join blocks with a standard fabric sashing strip, same as a traditionally-pieced sashed quilt — more precise, closer to a conventional finished look.
Precut bundles work well here — each block can use its own coordinating print.
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Cut both batting and backing 2" larger than the block on all sides (4" larger total in each direction). For a 12" finished block, that's a 16"×16" batting and backing square per block — the extra room lets you quilt right to the block's raw edge without the layers shifting or shrinking short.
The same number as a standard quilt of the same size and block size — quilt-as-you-go changes how the blocks are finished and joined, not how many you need. A queen quilt with 12" blocks needs 63 blocks (7×9), same as piecing it the traditional way.
The two common methods: (1) sew-and-flip — join two quilted blocks with a strip of fabric folded over the seam and hand- or machine-stitched down, covering the raw batting edge; or (2) flat-join with sashing — trim the batting/backing back from the block's edge, then join blocks with a standard sashing strip. Sew-and-flip needs less precision; sashing gives a more traditional finished look.
Slightly more for backing and batting, since each block's backing/batting is cut with its own overlap allowance instead of one continuous piece — that overlap is trimmed away at each seam. Top fabric usage is unchanged. The trade-off is being able to quilt each block on a home machine instead of needing a longarm for the whole top.