Your Border Plan
Buy 1 yard
Final quilt top: 68 1/2" × 80 1/2"
Cut From Your Border Fabric
- Border cut width
- 4 1/2"
- WOF strips
- Cut 8 strips at 4 1/2" × 42"
Layer 1
Complete the side borders before the top and bottom.
- Side bordersAttach firstMake 2 strips, each 72" long2 WOF segments per border
- Top & bottom bordersAfter side borders are attachedMake 2 strips, each 68 1/2" long2 WOF segments per border
Straight WOF joins use a 1/4" seam, so the strip count includes a 1/2" loss per join. Yardage rounds up to the next 1/4 yard.
Continue with this quilt size in the Quilt Planner60" × 72" starting top · 1 border round · 4" finished border
Border fabric
Final quilt top: 68 1/2" × 80 1/2"
Cut border strips
- Finished border width
- 4"
- Border cut width
- 4 1/2"
- Usable WOF
- 42"
- WOF strips
- 8 strips at 4 1/2" × 42"
- Join method
- Straight end-to-end
Layer 1
- Side borders
- Make 2 strips, each 72" long · 2 WOF segments per border
- Top & bottom
- Make 2 strips, each 68 1/2" long · 2 WOF segments per border
Straight, butted corners. Cut widths include a 1/4" seam allowance on each long edge. Straight end-to-end WOF joins reduce usable length by 1/2" per join. Yardage rounds up to 1/4 yard.
Measure Through the Center
For flatter borders, measure the quilt top through the center rather than following a stretched outer edge. Press the side borders, then measure across the center again before cutting the top and bottom strips.
How This Plan Works
Sew the two side borders first, then re-measure across them before cutting the top and bottom borders. For two layers, the second layer starts from the first layer’s actual raw quilt-top size.
View assumptions
- All borders use one entered finished width and one border fabric.
- Cut width includes a 1/4" seam allowance on each long edge; strip lengths match the measured attachment edges.
- When a border needs multiple WOF segments, Straight end-to-end WOF joins reduce usable length by 1/2" per join.
- WOF yardage rounds up to the next 1/4 yard; buy extra for directional prints or matching.
FAQ
Measure through the center of the quilt top instead. After sewing the side borders, measure through the center again before cutting the top and bottom borders.
This calculator sews the side borders first. The top and bottom borders then span the re-measured raw width, including the attached side borders.
No. It plans straight, butted borders only. Mitered corners need different cutting lengths.