Straight grain binding is cut perpendicular to the selvage (across the width of fabric). The strips are cut along the crosswise grain, which has minimal stretch. This is ideal for straight-edged quilts and is the most common method.

Bias binding is cut at a 45° angle to the selvage. This diagonal cut gives the binding natural stretch and flexibility, making it perfect for curved edges, scalloped borders, and quilts that will see heavy use. Bias binding also wears more evenly since the threads cross the fold at an angle rather than running parallel to it.

To calculate binding yardage: (1) Find your quilt's perimeter: 2 × (Length + Width). (2) Add 10–15 inches for mitered corners and joining seams. (3) For straight grain, divide the total length by your WOF to get the number of strips, then multiply by binding width for total fabric inches. (4) Divide by 36 to convert to yards. Our calculator above does all this automatically for both straight grain and continuous bias binding methods.

WOF stands for Width of Fabric. It refers to the measurement from selvage to selvage (the finished woven edge of the fabric). Standard quilting cotton typically has a WOF of 42 to 44 inches. When cutting binding strips, you cut across the WOF to get the longest continuous strips possible from your yardage.

The most common binding widths are 2.25 inches and 2.5 inches. A 2.25" binding strip, when double-folded, yields approximately a 3/8" finished binding visible on the quilt front. A 2.5" strip yields about a 1/2" finished binding. Wider bindings (3"+) are sometimes used for a bolder look or for extra durability on heavily used quilts.

Continuous bias binding is a clever technique where you start with a square of fabric, cut it diagonally, then sew the two triangles together along the straight grain to form a parallelogram. You then draw parallel lines at your binding width and sew the short edges together with an offset, creating a tube. Cutting along the drawn lines yields one long continuous bias strip with minimal waste. This method is much more efficient than cutting individual bias strips.

We recommend buying at least 1/8 to 1/4 yard extra beyond the calculated amount. Our calculator's "Buy" suggestion already rounds up to the nearest practical fraction (1/8 yard increments), so you have a small buffer. It's always better to have a little extra fabric than to run short mid-project! Extra binding strips can also be saved for future small projects or scrappy binding.

Yes! This calculator works for double-fold (French fold) binding, which is the standard for most quilts. The binding width you enter is the cut width (before folding). For double-fold binding, the strip is folded in half lengthwise, then each raw edge is folded toward the center fold, resulting in a durable double layer. The calculator accounts for the full cut width in its yardage calculations.

The extra 10–15 inches accounts for: (a) Mitered corners — each corner consumes additional binding to fold neatly at a 45° angle. (b) Joining seams — when you sew binding strips together (usually with diagonal seams), each join uses up about 1–2 inches of strip length. (c) The final join where the binding ends meet requires overlap. (d) A small safety margin ensures you won't run short.