Hey everyone. Here is the short answer first. A 30-yard batting roll holds 1,080 inches of length. Divide that by your cut length, and you get your quilt count. Cut length is your quilt’s length plus 8 inches of overage. Do that math before you buy, not after.
Here is what that looks like. A throw at 76 inches a cut gives you 14 throws. A queen at 104 inches a cut gives you 10 queens. A king at 112 inches a cut gives you 9 kings. Same roll, y’all. Very different answers. The roll is not magic. It is just arithmetic.
This is part of our Be the Best at Batting series, where the layer you cannot see decides how the finished piece behaves.
Why the math surprises people
Thirty yards sounds endless in the store. But quilts are long. A 104-inch queen cut uses just under three yards. Ten cuts use 1,040 inches. You have 40 inches left. Not another queen cut, but a useful leftover.
The overage is the part folks forget. Batting should hang past your top. These examples allow 4 inches on every side. Check your quilter’s requirements before cutting. That is 8 inches added to the length, every single quilt. Leave that 8 inches out of your math, and you may count on more quilts than the roll can cover.
Width matters, too. This math counts length off the roll. It assumes the roll is wide enough for your top, plus overage across the width. If your top is wider than that, length math will not save you. You would need a wider roll, or joined batting. On a 108-inch-wide roll, that means a top at most 100 inches across. Check both directions before you count quilts.
Work your roll math, step by step
- Start with the roll, in inches. Thirty yards times 36 inches is 1,080 inches. Write that number down. That is your whole budget of length.
- Add your overage first. Take your measured quilt top length. Add 8 inches. These throw, queen, and king sizes are examples, not fixed standards. A 68-inch throw needs a 76-inch cut. A 96-inch queen needs a 104-inch cut. A 104-inch king needs a 112-inch cut. Those cut lengths are the numbers you divide with, never the bare quilt lengths.
- Divide, then round down. Throws: 1,080 divided by 76 is about 14.2, so plan on 14 throws. Queens: 1,080 divided by 104 is about 10.4, so plan on 10 queens. Kings: 1,080 divided by 112 is about 9.6, so plan on 9 kings. Always round down. A fraction of a quilt is not a quilt.
- Mixing sizes? Add, do not average. List each quilt you plan to make. Write its cut length beside it. Add the list up. At or below 1,080 inches total, the roll covers it. Allow for any trimming. Four queens at 104 inches is 416 inches. Add three throws at 76 inches, another 228. That is 644 inches, with room left over.
- Do the cost math the same way. Take the roll price. Divide it by the number of quilts you will actually finish from it. For a mixed list, call it your average batting cost per quilt, since larger quilts use more batting. Compare that with buying those quilts as separate packages. A roll can come out ahead when you quilt often and use most of it. It is not automatic. Your cut list, and your follow-through, decide.
When a roll makes sense, and when it does not
A roll makes sense if you quilt all year. Charity quilts, family quilts, client quilts, your own stack. Steady cutting loves a roll. It also helps if your quilts share a favorite width and fiber. Consistency is the roll’s best friend.
A package may suit you better for one special quilt. Maybe you want a different fiber just this once. Maybe storage is tight, and a roll has nowhere to live. That is fine, folks. Options, not verdicts. Completely up to you.
One more note on the product below. The linked roll is a bleached 80/20 roll, 108 inches wide by 30 yards, in white. At 108 inches wide, check your top width plus overage before you count on it for your widest quilts. Run your own lengths through the steps above. Your list may hold throws, queens, or a happy mix.
It does not have to be perfect. You are your own worst critic here. Take your time. Write the cuts down, add them up, then decide. If I can do this, y’all can do it.
Thanks for spending a little time with me. We’ll see you next time. Bye.
Shop Hobbs Heirloom Bleached 80/20 Batting Roll — 108" x 30 Yards, White at Linda's Electric Quilters.
