How to Calculate Quilt Yardage

Learn how to calculate quilt yardage using this Triple Irish Chain quilt pattern variation called 'Checkerboard'.

In the first part of this article, we determined what size the finished quilt needs to be to fit the bed to our needs and decided the size of the smallest patch we are willing to work with.

Now we get down to the nitty-gritty and do the calculations.

The Pattern

This is what our Checkerboard Irish Chain looks like. Black represents the scrappy fabrics; the white represents the background.

Step-by-Step Chart to Calculate Quilt Yardage

To get the most benefit from the information contained in this chart, I suggest that you open a new window to display Part 1: Calculating Irish Chain Quilt Fabric  Yardage.

These calculations are based on a Grid Size of 1" square finished.

Binding, backing and batting calculations are not included.

Block design	Checkerboard		Alternate
Fabric	Design	Background	Background			Design
Patch/Name	C1	C2	A1	A2	A3	A4
Grid Units/Patch	1x1	1x1	1x3	5x5	1x1	1x1
Cutting dimensions/Patch	1½" x 1½"	1½" x 1½"	1½" x 3½"	5½" x 5½"	1½" x 1½"	1½" x 1½"
Cut Width of Strip	1½"	1½"	3½"	5½"	1½"	1½"
# of patches per block	25	24	4	1	4	8
Multiply by number of blocks	98	98	97	97	97	97
Total # in quilt	2450	2352	388	97	388	776
Usable Width of fabric (inches)	40	40	40	40	40	40
Divided by Sub Cut Measurement	1½"	1½"	1½"	5½"	1½"	1½"
Patches per strip	26.67	26.67	26.67	7.27	26.67	26.67
Round down to whole patches/strip	26	26	26	7	26	26
# of patches needed	2450	2352	388	97	388	776
Divided by patches/strip	26	26	26	7	26	26
Round this up to whole strips	94.23	90.46	14.92	13.86	14.92	29.85
# of strips to cut	95	91	15	14	15	30
Multiply by cut width of strip	1½"	1½"	3½"	5½"	1½"	1½"
Sub-total inches needed	142½"	136½"	52½"	77	22½"	45
Add your personal 'Fudge Factor'	11.625"	11.325"	6.625"	9.850"	3.125"	4.750"
Total Inches needed	154.13	147.83	59.13	86.85	25.63	49.75
Divide by 36” to convert to yards	4.28	4.11	1.64	2.41	0.71	1.38
Total Yards (rounded up to the nearest ¼ yard)	4½"	4¼"	1¾"	2½"	¾"	1½"

What if...?

UPDATE: My reader wrote back wondering what would happen if she went to a 2" grid size—that way she'd be able to use precut Jelly Rolls for the scrappy fabric.

That's an excellent question, a great idea and a smart use of her time!

USUALLY the jelly roll strips are 42"-44" long. Remove the selvedge and you should have at least 40" of usable WOF. Since we use WOF to calculate our quilt yardage, double-check the usable WOF just to be sure.

Because I'd put the numbers into a spreadsheet already, it didn't take too much effort to calculate quilt yardage again.

These are the results.

Changes to the block and quilt designs

A 2" grid creates 14" finished blocks.

Remember we want a quilt that measures at least 104"x93". Dividing 14" into both and rounding to full blocks makes for a quilt 8x7 blocks or 112"x98".

So far so good.

56 blocks to make instead of 195—lots less piecing!

The additional drop is pretty evenly distributed; 4" extra on both sides and 5" extra on the bottom or foot of the bed.

Below are diagrams of both quilts, 7" blocks on the left and 14" on the right. These images are displayed to scale so the right one is, and should be, bigger than the left.

The only problem is that we've lost the symmetry across the width of the quilt.  You, as the designer, get to decide if this is important.

If it is, one solution is to begin and end each row with a half block. Problem solved! Calculate quilt yardage again. It should be pretty close, but you don't want to find yourself an 1" short 18 months after you'd started the quilt!

To calculate quilt yardage with these changes...

I simply plugged the new grid/block sizes into my spreadsheet. (You can open a new window to display the charts next to each other to see where the changes happen.)

This is the resulting chart...

Block design	Checkerboard		Alternate
Fabric	Design	Background	Background			Design
Patch/Name	C1	C2	A1	A2	A3	A4
Grid Units/Patch	1x1	1x1	1x3	5x5	1x1	1x1
Cutting dimensions/Patch	2½" x 2½"	2½" x 2½"	2½" x 6½"	10½" x 10½"	2½" x 2½"	2½" x 2½"
Cut Width of Strip	2½"	2½"	6½"	10½"	2½"	2½"
# of patches/block	25	24	4	1	4	8
Multiply by number of blocks	28	28	28	28	28	28
Total # in quilt	700	672	112	28	112	224
Usable Width of fabric (inches)	40	40	40	40	40	40
Divided by Sub Cut Measurement	2½"	2½"	2½"	10½"	2½"	2½"
Patches per strip	16	16	16	3.81	16	16
Round down to whole patches per strip	16	16	16	3	16	16
# of patches needed	700	672	112	28	112	224
Divided by patches per strip	16	16	16	3	16	16
Round this up to whole strips	43.75	42	7	9.33	7	14
# of strips to cut	44	42	7	10	7	14
Multiply by cut width of strip	2½"	2½"	2½"	10½"	2½"	2½"
Sub-total inches needed	110	105	17.5	105	17.5	35
Add your personal 'Fudge Factor'	9.5	9.25	7.63	16.25	3.63	4.75
Total Inches needed	119.5	114.25	25.13	121.25	21.13	39.75
Divide by 36” to convert to yards	3.32	3.17	0.70	3.37	0.59	1.10
Total Yards (rounded up to the nearest ¼ yard)	3½"	3¼"	¾"	3½"	¾"	1¼"

You'll now need a total of 8.25 yards of background and 58 2-1/2" strips (with a 40" usable width of fabric) of the design fabric to make this quilt. Backing, batting and binding are again NOT included in these calculations.

There's always a trade-off...

If you compare the charts, you'll see that for this second alternative you need 1 less yard of background. Cool beans!

And there's a lot less piecing—195blocks vs 56blocks! Even COOLER BEANS!

BUT...

...and you knew there was a but, right???!

The open square in the alternate block is four times as big now, 5"x5" vs 10"x10". Plus the A1 pieces make it even bigger. If you're happy free motion quilting or plan to send this out to have it quilted, then there's no issue. But it is a trade-off, piecing time for quilting time.

And again, only YOU, as the DESIGNER, can make that decision as to how you want to spend YOUR time and money.