How to Calculate Quilt Batting Size
Batting is the soft middle layer of a quilt. Buying the right size and fiber keeps your quilt warm, drapey, and easy to quilt, and it prevents the frustrating moment when the batting ends up a few inches short of the top.
How Much Overage to Add
Plan for 4 to 8 inches of extra batting on each side of the quilt top. A common rule is 4 inches per side for a small quilt and 6 to 8 inches per side for a large bed quilt, which gives you room to baste and trim after quilting.
Standard Precut Batting Sizes
Most battings are sold in precut rectangles sized to common quilts. If your quilt matches one of these, you can buy the matching batt and add only a small overage.
| Batting size | Dimensions | Fits quilt up to |
|---|---|---|
| Craft | 36×46 | Baby |
| Crib | 45×60 | Crib |
| Twin | 72×90 | Twin |
| Full | 81×96 | Full |
| Queen | 90×108 | Queen |
| King | 120×120 | King |
Choosing a Batting Fiber
Cotton is breathable and classic, polyester is warm and affordable, wool is lightweight and drapey, and bamboo is soft with a slight sheen. Loft matters too: low loft quilts flat and is easy on a domestic machine, while high loft looks puffy and is better for tying or longarm work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much bigger should batting be than the quilt top?
Plan for 4 to 8 inches of extra batting on each side of the quilt top. A common rule is to add about 4 inches per side for a small quilt and 6 to 8 inches per side for a large bed quilt.
What are standard precut batting sizes?
Common precut batt sizes are crib 45 by 60 inches, twin 72 by 90, full 81 by 96, queen 90 by 108, and king 120 by 120. Craft packs are about 36 by 46 inches.
What is batting loft?
Loft is the thickness of the batting. Low loft gives a flat, traditional look that is easy to quilt on a domestic machine. High loft gives a puffy, warm look better suited to hand tying or longarm quilting.
Which batting fiber should I choose?
Cotton is breathable and classic, polyester is warm and affordable, wool is lightweight and drapey, and bamboo is soft with a slight sheen. Choose based on the quilt's use and how you plan to quilt it.
Backing & batting
What you need for backing, batting and binding
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Wide quilt backing fabric (108")
Seamless backing for queen and king quilts. Cuts to 3.25 yd in one piece.
View on AmazonQuilt batting (cotton or blend)
Low-loft, needle-punched batting that holds up to machine quilting.
View on AmazonQuilt binding tool
Makes cutting and pressing 2.5-inch binding strips fast and consistent.
View on Amazon