Quilt Batting Sizes Chart
Every standard packaged batting size, and — the part the packet never tells you — the largest quilt top each one actually covers once you allow for overhang.
Batting = quilt top + 4" on every side (longarm: 4–6")
Quilt Batting Sizes Chart
getsashing.com
Packaged batting sizes
| Package | Batting size | Largest top it covers (4" per side) |
|---|---|---|
| Craft | 36" × 45" | 28" × 37" |
| Crib | 45" × 60" | 37" × 52" |
| Throw | 60" × 60" | 52" × 52" |
| Twin | 72" × 90" | 64" × 82" |
| Full / Double | 81" × 96" | 73" × 88" |
| Queen | 90" × 108" | 82" × 100" |
| King | 120" × 120" | 112" × 112" |
Cutting from a roll
| Roll width | Covers a top up to | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 90" | 82" wide | Throws, twins, narrow queens |
| 96" | 88" wide | Full and most queens |
| 108" | 100" wide | Queens and small kings |
| 120" | 112" wide | Kings, and any quilt turned sideways |
Off a roll you only need one dimension to fit the width — cut the other as long as you like. Turn the quilt sideways on the roll if that gets it under the width.
Why the package size is not the quilt size
A "queen" batting is 90" × 108", but a queen quilt is not 90" × 108" — the batting has to be bigger than the top, because the quilt shifts as you quilt it and the edges need something to hold on to. Allow four inches on every side, which is eight inches on each dimension, and a queen package covers a top of about 82" × 100". Plenty of queen quilts are wider than that. Read the third column, not the second.
If a longarm quilter is finishing your quilt, ask what they want before you buy. Most ask for four to six inches per side so they can clamp the edges, and some will turn work away for being too tight.
Loft, fiber, and what it does to the size
Batting shrinks. Cotton battings typically lose 3–5% when first washed, which is what gives a finished quilt its crinkle — and which is why the overhang matters even more if you are prewashing nothing else. Polyester barely shrinks at all; wool sits in between and springs back rather than flattening.
Loft does not change the flat measurement, but it does change how much the quilt "eats" as you quilt it: a high-loft batting pulls the top in more than a flat cotton does. Dense quilting on a lofty batting can take an inch or more off a large quilt.
Common questions
What size batting do I need for a queen quilt?
Queen packaged batting is 90" x 108", which covers a top up to about 82" x 100" with 4" of overhang on every side. A typical 90" x 100" queen top is wider than that package allows, so buy king batting or a cut from a 120" roll.
How much bigger than the quilt top should batting be?
Three to four inches on every side for home machine quilting, and four to six inches per side if a longarm quilter is finishing it. Ask your longarm quilter — many have a firm minimum.
Can I piece batting together?
Yes. Butt the two edges together without overlapping and join them with a wide zigzag or a fusible batting tape. The join disappears once the quilt is quilted, and it is a standard way to use up leftovers.
Is packaged batting or a roll better value?
A roll is cheaper per quilt if you make several a year, because you cut only the length you need and the offcuts stay usable. Packaged sizes cost more per square inch but waste nothing if you make one quilt at a time.
Related
- Quilt batting calculator — your exact size, with the cut off a roll.
- Choosing quilt batting — cotton, polyester, wool, and blends compared.
- Quilt size chart — mattress sizes, quilt sizes, and the batting to match.
- Quilt backing calculator — the other layer that needs the same overhang.
Not on the chart?
Sashing sizes the batting, backing, and binding for the same quilt at once and hands you a single shopping list.
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