A queen quilt is the size where wide backing stops being a convenience and starts being the obvious choice. This page covers the measurements, the yardage, and which of our fabrics suit a quilt that size.
Queen quilt and backing measurements
A queen mattress is 60 by 80 inches. Finished queen quilt tops usually land between 90 by 90 and 90 by 108 inches depending on how much drop the pattern allows.
| Finished top | Backing for home quilting (4 in margin) | Backing for a longarm (8 in margin) | Order from 108 in fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 x 90 in | 98 x 98 in | 106 x 106 in | 3 yards |
| 90 x 100 in | 98 x 108 in | 106 x 116 in | 3.25 yards |
| 90 x 108 in | 98 x 116 in | 106 x 124 in | 3.5 yards |
How to read that chart
Our fabric is 108 inches wide, so in every row above the 108 inch width covers the smaller backing dimension and you buy length to cover the larger one. A 3-yard package is 108 by 108 inches, which is enough for a square 90 by 90 queen top with a four inch margin. Longer queen tops need three and a quarter to three and a half yards. If a longarm quilter is finishing the quilt, take the higher figure and add a little.
Which backing suits a queen quilt
Two practical considerations at this size. First, a queen back is a lot of uninterrupted fabric, so anything with texture is more forgiving than a flat solid: quilting lines, thread changes and small tension shifts all disappear into a marble tonal or a grunge blender in a way they will not on a plain colour.
Second, a quilt this size gets used, so the back will be seen. Our digitally printed wide backs print across the full 108 inch width, which means a watercolour or floral back reads as a design rather than as a repeat, and many quilters treat it as a reversible second front.
If you want plain colour, Dream Solids are the cleanest option. For a warmer quilt, 108 inch flannel is worth considering, though it wants a prewash and a light starch first.
Choose by colour
Blue, green, red and pink, purple, black and gray, brown, off white and cream, or browse all 108 inch quilt backing fabric.
See also: how much quilt backing do I need and king size quilt backing.