What is the Size of a Queen Size Quilt? – The Complete Guide

There is no typical size for a queen-size quilt. You have to measure the length, width, and thickness of your queen-size mattress to know the right size of the quilt for your bed.

Before making or buying the queen-size quilt you want, you should ask yourself what is the size of a queen size quilt or how you want it to look on your bed.

Do you want to tuck it in or not?

How long should the overhang be if you prefer not to tuck your quilt?

You must know the precise dimensions of your queen-size bed to know how big your quilt should be.

The standard size of a queen-size mattress is 60″ x 80″, but different bed manufacturers produce queen-size beds of various thicknesses. Therefore, the quilt sizes that would fit these beds would vary.

Note that the standard queen bed can also vary from one country to another. It would help if you also kept in mind that the mattress you purchase in the US may have different dimensions than what you find in the UK or any other country.

Knowing the right bed size will help you create the quilt size you want for your queen-size bed.

How do you compute the quilt size of a queen-size bed?

Measure first the width, length, and thickness of your bed. For example, the width(W) is 60″, the length (L) is 80″, and the thickness(T) is 12″. With the formula W + 2T = ideal quilt width and L + T = ideal quilt length, the width and length would be 84″ and 92″, respectively.

If you want a pillow tuck, add 10 inches to your length. With these numbers you obtained, you will have an approximation of how much fabric you will need for your queen-sized quilt.

You must also note that quilting may decrease the completed size of your quilt by around 1″ to 3″ or more. It would help if you considered this when planning the finished size of your queen-size quilt.

The right size of quilt can enhance the look of your queen bed. If your quilt is too short, it will provide you with very little coverage on the bed, but if it is too long, it will drag on the floor and collect dirt. So, correctly measuring your queen bed is vital to achieving the correct size of the quilt.

Below is a guide chart about what is the size of a queen size quilt that you can refer to:

Deciding how much coverage you want on the sides of your queen bed is essential. It will have a crucial effect on the size of the quilt that you need. Some people want a quilt that has an overhang that reaches the floor, while others want a quilt enough to cover the bed and reach the sides.

Deciding if you want a pillow tuck at the top of your bed is also essential in making a queen-size quilt. You may want to tuck your quilt under your pillows, have your quilt lie under your pillows, or cover your pillows with your quilt.

Another thing to consider is whether you want to add borders or sashing within the blocks. You must be able to decide how many you want to add if you want borders. If you prefer sashing on your quilt, you must determine how wide they should be.

Using your quilt over your bed will determine the material you require for your queen-size quilt.

How many squares is a queen-size quilt?

The number of squares to create a queen-size quilt depends on the size of square blocks you want to use. The bigger your square blocks, the fewer squares you need to use to finish a queen-size quilt.

Standard mattresses measure 60 inches by 80 inches on top. The thickness of the beds usually varies per manufacturer, which will contribute to the different sizes of queen-size quilts possible.

Before you determine the number of squares you want to use on your queen-size quilt, know first the two types of bed covers that you may choose from as a guide to create your quilt.

Comforter

A comforter can serve as an excellent decorative accent to your bed. A comforter usually covers the mattress’s top, sides, and bottom. The usual size of a queen comforter is 86 inches by 88 inches.

Bedspread

A bedspread can enhance the beauty of your bed and can provide more warmth and coverage as well. A bedspread is different from a comforter because it usually falls almost to the floor and allows a pillow to tuck. A queen-size bedspread usually measures 102 inches by 118 inches.

Knowing this information about comforters and bedspreads, you can use them to decide what size of quilt you prefer for your queen-size mattress.

Say you want 15-inch blocks on your queen-size quilt and make a comforter-style quilt; you can use five blocks across and six blocks down (5 x 15 = 75; 6 x 15 =90). The dimensions can be that of a comforter, but you can add borders to give you enough width.

If you prefer your quilt to look like a bedspread 102 inches x 118 inches, you can have seven pieces of 15-inch blocks and eight pieces of 15-inch blocks. You will have (7 x15 = 105 and 8 x 15 = 120).

With 7 x 8 blocks, even without borders or sashing, you can achieve a bedspread quilt that you can tuck your pillows into or adorn the sides and bottom of the bed.

Calculating the number of blocks you will need for a queen-size quilt can be tricky, but you can do it with some multiplication to get the right size you desire.

The number of blocks you choose for your queen-size quilt depends on the layout that you choose for your quilt.

• You can choose to have no border for your quilt, so expect that a queen-size quilt with a straight layout will need more blocks to finish.
• If you add sashing between the blocks, the number of blocks you need to use will be less than the quilt with a straight layout.
• Changing the layout of your blocks can also decrease the number of blocks you will need to finish your quilt.
• You can also choose to quilt only with the exact number of blocks covering only the top of the mattress.
• Different patterns or designs on your blocks, like zigzags or stripes, can also affect the number of blocks you need to make a queen-size quilt.

Choosing the number of blocks/squares for a queen-size quilt can be daunting, but you can easily do it once you have considered these factors that can affect the dimensions of your finished quilt.

What is the best size quilt for a queen bed?

The best size quilt for a queen bed depends on what you intend it for. The best quilt size for your queen bed is the one that looks best on it. You can have a quilt that only covers the top of your bed or drapes over the sides and bottom of your queen-size bed.

There is no correct or wrong size for a queen-size quilt because no hard rule identifies the best, finished size.

If you know that the quilt you are making is for a queen-size bed, it would be best to know a few of the following information.

• Bed Dimensions: Before creating the best-sized quilt for your queen bed, you must get its width and length. You can find standard sizes of mattresses online, but nothing beats getting the exact dimensions of your bed using a measuring tape.
• Depth: Many bed manufacturers follow the standard length and widths of specific beds, but the mattress’s height can vary depending on the maker. Older and traditional mattresses may measure 8 inches to 12 inches. Newer beds can measure from 14 inches to 18 inches or more.
• Box Spring Depth: The box spring depth may only apply to some beds, as you may not find a box spring if your mattress is on a platform.
• Height: The height is the measurement from the top of the mattress to the floor. This dimension is significantly essential when the quilt you want to make should fall to the floor.
• Drop: Drop is the part of the quilt hanging off the bed’s sides. Here are several factors that may affect the drop of your quilt.

To better guide, you can also refer to this table for standard sizes of bed, so you can get the corresponding size quilt:

Other important considerations:

You must know the bed height if you plan a quilt hanging at the sides of the bed towards the floor. Note that a full-length quilt drops to a half-inch from the floor.

Does your bed have a dust ruffle or a bed skirt? Your quilt must drop to around 3 inches from the top of the mattress. It must cover the top of the dust ruffle or bed skirt.

You may also need to consider your bed’s position and its parts. If your bed has a footboard, your quilt may only need to drop at the front edge. Same with a day bed, you may only need to make your quilt fall on one side of the bed.

Heavy quilting can result in more shrinkage. Add 5% to your drop measurements if your finished quilt is dense.

If you apply cotton batting to achieve an antique look to your quilt, expect a bit of shrinkage. You may check how your batting shrinks and add the difference to your shrink calculations.

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