The guide library
Quilting guides
Short, practical answers to the questions that come up at the cutting table — binding widths, backing seams, HST methods, and how much fabric a quilt really needs. Every guide pairs with a calculator.
All guides
How Wide Should Quilt Binding Be?
The short answer is 2½ inches for most quilts — but the right width depends on your batting loft, seam allowance, and whether you finish by hand or machine.
Read the guide →BindingBias vs. Straight-Grain Binding: Which Should You Use?
Straight-grain binding is the economical workhorse for square quilts; bias binding stretches around curves and wears more evenly. Here's how to choose.
Read the guide →BindingHow to Join Binding Strips with a Diagonal Seam
Joining binding strips with a 45-degree diagonal seam spreads the bulk so no lump lands on the edge of your quilt — here's the simple step-by-step.
Read the guide →BackingPieced Quilt Backs: Ideas and How Much Yardage You Need
Most quilts are wider than a bolt, so the back has to be pieced — why you seam it, how to pick the thriftiest seam direction, and a few backs worth showing.
Read the guide →BackingWide-Back Fabric vs. Piecing Your Own Backing
Wide-back fabric backs most quilts with no seam, but piecing your own is cheaper and lets you use any print — here's how to decide and compare the yardage.
Read the guide →BackingHow Much Backing Overhang Do You Really Need?
Your backing has to be bigger than the top — 4 inches of overhang per side for longarm, 2 to 3 for a home machine — and skimping can ruin a finished quilt.
Read the guide →Half-Square TrianglesHST Methods Compared: 2, 4, and 8 at a Time
Three popular ways to make half-square triangles — 2, 4, and 8 at a time — and how to pick the right one for how many matching units you need.
Read the guide →Half-Square TrianglesHST Size Chart: What Size Square to Cut
A printable-style reference for the square to cut for half-square triangles at every common finished size, for the 2- and 8-at-a-time methods.
Read the guide →Half-Square TrianglesThe 8-at-a-Time HST Method (and the Math Behind It)
Make eight half-square triangles from one pair of squares — the step-by-step, a worked example, and why the cut size is double the finished size plus 1¾ inches.
Read the guide →Half-Square TrianglesPaper-Pieced Half-Square Triangles: A Beginner's Guide
Triangle paper and printable HST foundations guarantee accuracy for tiny half-square triangles — how they work, what they cost, and when they beat cut-and-trim.
Read the guide →Strip PiecingStrip Piecing Basics: Faster, More Accurate Patchwork
Strip piecing sews long strips into sets, then crosscuts them into ready-made units — less cutting, fewer wobbly seams, and patchwork that comes out square.
Read the guide →Strip PiecingJelly Roll Quilt Math: Strips, Sizes, and Yardage
A jelly roll is forty 2½-inch strips that finish at 2 inches — here's how much quilt one roll makes, how to plan strip counts, and how to cut your own.
Read the guide →Strip PiecingHow to Figure Yardage for Strip-Pieced Blocks
Work backward from a strip-pieced block to the fabric you need — counting strips per fabric, finding cut width, sizing strip sets, and converting to yards.
Read the guide →BattingQuilt Batting Types Compared: Cotton, Poly, Wool, and Blends
Cotton, polyester, wool, and blends behave differently in a quilt — here's how the main batting fibers compare so you can pick the right one before you cut.
Read the guide →BattingUnderstanding Batting Loft (and How to Choose It)
Loft is just a fancy word for how puffy your batting is — and it quietly decides how your quilt drapes, how you can quilt it, and how it feels to sleep under.
Read the guide →BattingStandard Batting Sizes (and How Much You Need)
Packaged batting comes in a handful of standard sizes — here's the full list, plus the simple rule for adding overhang so you never end up an inch short.
Read the guide →Fabric & PlanningHow to Calculate Fabric for Any Quilt Pattern
A repeatable method for how much fabric a quilt needs — blocks, sashing, borders, backing, batting, and binding — for any pattern or your own design.
Read the guide →Fabric & PlanningFat Quarters vs. Yardage: Which to Buy
Fat quarters and yardage hold the same fabric in different shapes — knowing when each one wins saves you money and spares you a frustrating cutting day.
Read the guide →Fabric & PlanningQuilt Size Chart: Common Finished Sizes
Common finished quilt sizes from crib to king, why they vary, and how to turn the size you want into a block grid you can actually buy fabric for.
Read the guide →Fabric & PlanningFabric Pull Planning: Building a Quilt's Palette
How to choose fabrics for a quilt that works together — why value matters more than color, how to test a palette fast, and how many fabrics you really need.
Read the guide →No spreadsheet required
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