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Quilt Sizes
Standard baby quilt dimensions: 40″ wide × 52″ long (102×132 cm, or 3.33×4.33 ft).
Baby quilts are the most-gifted quilt size in the world — and the easiest entry point into quilting. At 40×52" they're roughly half the size of a throw, finish in 8–15 hours of sewing, and use under 3 yards of fabric. Use them as crib coverlets, stroller blankets, tummy-time mats, or just photo-shoot backdrops.
Not every baby quilt is the same size. These are the common variations published in modern quilt pattern books:
| Variation | Width | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Tummy-time mat | 36″ | 36″ |
| Stroller blanket | 30″ | 36″ |
| Standard crib quilt | 40″ | 52″ |
| Generous crib quilt | 45″ | 60″ |
| Bassinet quilt | 16″ | 32″ |
Before crib bedding became commercialized in the 1950s, every American baby slept under a hand-pieced quilt — usually one made by a grandmother or aunt during the pregnancy. The 36×52" 'cradle quilt' was the most common size in 19th-century pattern books. Modern crib quilts standardized at 40×52" to fit the post-1973 federal crib-mattress dimensions (27¼ × 51⅝"), giving a few inches of overhang on each side.
~102 × 132 cm
40×52" converts to ~102×132 cm. UK cot quilts often measure 100×120 cm.
~102 × 132 cm
Australian standard cot quilts are 100×130 cm, very close to US crib quilts.
Use the yardage calculator for an exact estimate by pattern type, or the backing calculator to see whether you need pieced backing or 108″ wide-back fabric.
About 2.75 yards of backing plus top fabric — here's where to buy it.
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A standard baby (crib) quilt is 40 inches wide by 52 inches long (40×52"). This fits a standard crib mattress (28×52") with a few inches of overlap on each side. Smaller variations include 36×36" tummy-time mats and 30×36" stroller blankets.
A crib quilt should measure between 36×52" and 45×60". The most common dimension is 40×52", which matches the standard crib mattress (28×52") with about 6 inches of side overhang. Do not make crib quilts larger than 52×60" — oversized quilts pose a suffocation risk for infants.
A standard 40×52" baby quilt measures approximately 102×132 cm. UK and Australian cot quilts are typically 100×120 cm or 100×130 cm — slightly smaller than the US standard but functionally equivalent.
A 40×52" baby quilt needs about 4 yards total: roughly 1 yard for the quilt top (split among multiple prints), 2¾ yards for a pieced backing, and ⅓ yard for binding. The backing does need a seam — once you add the usual 4" margin on every side it measures 48×60", which is wider than the 42" a 44" bolt gives you. A single 1½-yard cut of 108" wide-back avoids the seam entirely.
Buy batting at least 48×60" for a 40×52" baby quilt — 4 inches of overhang on every side. Pre-cut craft batting (45×60") works for a 36×52" mini-baby quilt but is too small for a standard crib quilt with proper overhang.
Compare all standard quilt sizes — wall hanging to king — on the master quilt sizes chart.
View All Quilt Sizes