How many quilt squares should I buy and other tips

Never know how to figure out how many quilt squares to purchase for your quilt project? New at quilting? A common mistake with new quilters is this: ONE set of 40 4" squares will not make a quilt! The following instructions include how to figure out how many squares you need for a quilt with a border and a pre-counted guide for quilts without a border.

Instructions for figuring how many squares you will need

Figure out the measurements you want for your completed quilt. For new quilters, drawing a large box on a piece of paper helps! For these directions lets say that you are making a lap size quilt that is 45x60 inches.
Will you be putting a border on your quilt? Draw another box inside of your beginning box. If you will be making a quilt with 2 borders, draw another box inside the second box. I recommend a quilt with a border because you won't have to deal with all the seam allowances from the squares when you put your binding on.
Mark your measurements inside each box going vertically and horizontally. For instance, your first border is 4 inches, your second border is 3 inches. Most people make the mistake of counting only 7 inches for the border. BUT, you have 7 inches on both sides which would total 14 inches. So a quilt that is 45x60 is now 45" minus 14" by 60" minus 14", which leaves 31" x 46" area for your squares.
If you are purchasing 4" squares and use a 1/4 inch seam allowance, you... ...read the full guide >>>