Quilts come in all shapes and sizes. As far as quilts are concerned, there is no “right” size.
The hardest thing to understand is that these guidelines are just that… guidelines. But as a beginner quilter, you have to start somewhere right?
Some are square, some rectangular, some of mine have accidentally become a little wonky in shape. This post includes standard quilt size guidelines to visually show standard quilt sizes as well as standard quilt batting.
Before getting into too many details, take a look at this quilt sizes chart!
You may choose to make your quilt a little wider or a little taller depending on your need, but this will be your first stop before designing your quilt.
Popular Quilt Size Guidlines
- Baby — Baby quilts are typically square in shape and range from 36 inches (90cm) by 36 inches / 91cm, up to 52 inches / 132cm by 52 inches / 132cm. Either one, or any measurement in between, will be big enough to keep baby snugly warm on even the coldest winter day.
- Cot — Crib quilts typically measure between 30 inches / 76 cm by 46 inches / 117cm and 36 inches /91cm by 50 inches / 127cm. They're rectangular in shape and will fit most crib mattresses when made to fall within these measurements.
- Lap — Lap quilts can be square or rectangular, depending how you decide to make them. There's a lot of leeway where lap quilts are concerned, and you can make yours in nearly any size you choose. A good place to start is around 52 inches / 132 cm by 52 inches / 132cm, up to 52 inches / 132cm by 78 inches / 198cm. It all depends on whether you just want a light coverlet to go over your lap or if you plan to snuggle up with a favorite someone on the couch.
- Twin/Single — A twin-size quilt usually begins around 64 inches / 163cm by 86 inches / 218cm, but measurements can go as high as 72 inches / 183cm by 96 inches / 244cm if you want a nice drape over the sides of the bed.
- Full /Double— A good place to start for a full-size quilt is 70 inches / 178cm by 88 inches / 224cm or 88 inches / 224cm by 100 inches / 254cm. Again, it just depends on the drape.
- Queen — Queen-size quilts usually measure around 99 inches / 252cm by 108 inches / 274cm.
- King — For your king-size bed, you'll want a coverlet that measures at least 108 inches / 274cm by 108 inches / 274cm for nice coverage all around.
But what if I don’t want to follow a common quilt size?
That's completely ok. Yes, well the good thing about guidelines is that they’re not hard and fast rules. You can – and in some cases, totally should – break them!
This sizes above are approximate and can vary 4″ – 8″.
If you want to go completely rogue and do your own thing… go for it!
If you have access to the bed you wish to cover, give it a quick measure so you don’t have to guess. When taking these measurements, remember to add length for the quilt to hang off the edges of the mattress.
You just have to adjust the fabric requirements for your pattern so that you won’t run out of fabric before you run out of quilt.
If my budget allows for it, I will usually buy a little more than the required fabric in a pattern anyways. I tell myself that it’s a little safety net in case I mis-cut or make a mistake I can’t come back from.
It also comes in handy to piece coordinating fabric from the front of the quilt into the back of the quilt.
What size should the batting and quilt backing be?
Once you have the size of the bed + how much overhang you like figured out, there are a couple more measurements left to make – batting and backing. The size of these two things depends on how you intend this quilt to be quilted.
When you baste your quilt and do the quilting yourself, plan on making the batting and backing of your quilt a few extra inches larger all the way around for overhang and wiggle room.
If you plan to quilt it yourself, you will need to buy batting. You can either buy a large amount and cut it down to the size you need, or you can purchase pre-cut batting which comes in set standard sizes. You will notice that some of the pre-cut batting is either not large enough for proper overhang, or is cutting it really close and not going to give much wiggle room. Personally, I like to buy a large amount of batting usually the 2.4 metre width (96 inch) and then cut it down to the size I need. I can get two baby quilts out of one width with a decent amount of overhang. You are able to purchase larger width batting if you would like it in one piece.
If you plan on sending your quilt to a long-armer:
A long-armer has slightly different specifications for your quilt. If you would like a long arm quilter to do the quilting for you, most require an overhang of 4″ (or more) of both the batting and the backing fabric, that is if you are supplying your own batting. Some long arm quilters can supply batting and you won't have to worry. Just check your backing fabric has enough overhang. If you haven’t worked with the long-armer before, double-check with them to make sure you can meet their requirements. I also would compare cost with batting supplied by you or batting supplied by them.
Important to remember
Depending upon where you look on the internet for standard quilt sizes, you're going to find quite a bit of variation. The measurements listed here tend to be generous to allow the quilt to drape nicely over all sides of the bed. But smaller quilts are fine too.
For the best fit, break out the tape measure and take the exact measurements of the bed you're trying to dress and then allow extra inches for overhang on all sides. If you want your quilt to cover and tuck beneath your pillows, you'll want to allow for that as well.
Quilt sizes for table runners, place mats or wall hangings
Of course, not every quilting project starts out to fill a bed. And if you're just looking to create handcrafted accessories for home — items like table runners, place mats or wall hangings— here are a few loose guidelines out there to help you manage quilt sizes.
- Wall Hangings — Wall hangings really have no hard and fast rules that apply. The smartest approach is to measure the space you want the textile to cover and go from there.
- Table Runners — The average size of a typical table runner is 12 inches / 30cm by 40 inches / 102cm.
- Place Mats — Your quilted place mats should measure roughly 11 inches / 28cm by 15 inches /38cm.
Quilt sizes matter, but only because you want your finished quilt to fit your bed, table or that big white space on your wall. Other than that, sizing is up to your interpretation. As the quilt maker, you're the artist and it's your vision that's being realized. Don't be afraid to make your quilt whatever size you want if it will give your project that little extra punch of individuality.
Looking for an easy way to remember quilt sizes? Download Altogether Patchwork's free printable guide, the Best Guide to Quilt Sizes—featuring both imperial and metric sizes.
