California King Quilt Size Guide

A California king quilt finishes at 102 by 100 inches, which makes it the one common bed size that comes out wider than it is long. The mattress underneath is 72 by 84. Fifteen inches of drop on each side does the rest, and that shape is what decides your backing.

Standard California King Quilt Size

A California king mattress measures 72 by 84 inches. It is 4 inches narrower than a standard king and 4 inches longer, and the quilt numbers inherit both facts. Width is 72 plus 15 inches of drop on each side, or 102 inches. Length is 84 plus 16 inches at the foot, or 100 inches, with nothing turned back over the pillows.

Set that against the square king at 108 by 108. The California king quilt is 6 inches narrower and 8 inches shorter, on a mattress that runs 4 inches longer. Nothing about this size scales from the one above it.

Why Every Chart Gives You a Different Number

Published California king sizes run from 100 by 112 to 105 by 105. Each chart picks its own drop, and each one decides separately whether the quilt covers the pillows. Length is held at 100 here because 16 inches down the foot is what these beds need. Width is the number you actually choose.

At 18 inches the quilt is as wide as a square king, which is more fabric than a 72 inch mattress needs. At 10 inches it stops 10 inches short of the box spring on each side. The 15 inch row is the one most charts print as standard, and it is the row the yardage below uses.

Top Fabric by Block Size

A five inch grid needs 21 columns and 20 rows: 420 squares, 60 strips at seven per width of fabric, and 9.25 yards. Six inch squares use less fabric than five because 102 divides by 6 with nothing left over, while a five inch row throws away 3 inches of every strip.

Backing: Why 108 Inch Fabric Cannot Do It in One Piece

The backing cut is 110 by 108 inches. Three 42 inch panels sewn side by side give 126 inches, which trims to 110, and each panel runs the full 108. That is 324 inches, or exactly 9 yards.

Wide backing looks like the easy answer and is not. The cut is 110 one way and 108 the other, and an 108 inch bolt measures 108 in both directions, so no single piece reaches. Buy 3.25 yards and sew an 8 inch strip along one long edge to get to 110. Or give up an inch of overage per side and cut 108 by 106 in one piece for 3 yards.

Batting and Binding

Batting needs the same 110 by 108. The king precut at 120 by 120 clears it with 10 inches of width and 12 inches of length left over. Queen batting at 90 by 108 is exactly the right length and 20 inches narrow, which is the near miss that turns into a pieced seam down one edge.

Binding is (102 + 100) × 2 = 404 inches. Add 24 for the joins and the corners and you have 428, so cut 11 strips at 2.5 inches and buy 7/8 yard. Three inch strips need 33 inches of fabric, which is a full yard.

Frequently Asked Questions