Some may consider a Quilt as just a bed cover, but for many it is much much more. It is a work of art, a life long passion, a commitment. I consider pieced, appliqued, embroidered and intricately quilt stitched quilts as beautiful handwork born of hard work and dedication and some serious love with a very very practical purpose – covering your beds and your loved ones. A functional, lovingly made artwork.
The first thing you consider when deciding on making a quilt (or buying it) is the size of it. How big should be the quilt?
Is there a standard quilt size and will it be right for your bed ? There are definitely standard bed sizes, after all!. The Answer is Yes & No. The below given dimensions are what I found as standard commercial quilt sizes on different shops, as well as commonly used dimensions by home quilters. But every one has different tastes in bed covers. Commercially available quilt sizes may not be what you want for your bed. But these sure are some good guidelines to start with.
Consider measuring your bed and other dimensions for the exact quilt size you want.
Size of a quilt depends on many things – Other than the mattress top size, you will need to leave some inches on the sides and the foot of the bed as overhang and some for tucking under the pillow.
The overhang depends on considerations like your particular mattress size (length and width), thickness of the mattress, height of your bed, is it possible to be tucked under the pillow even if you want to (some batting is too thick for it to look nice) and your own personal preference (You may not even want to tuck the quilt at the head under the pillows or may want to tuck all around) and how visible you want the quilt design to be on top of the bed.
(Bed terms – The quilt with generous overhang and tuck-able portion under the pillow is usually termed as a Bedspread – it will be almost touching the floor as it lays on the bed. The quilt without this floor length can be termed as a coverlet – it will just have a 12 inch or so drop on either side or enough to tuck under the mattress. Learn a lot of bedsheet sizes )
For a generous quilt with plenty of overhang you can leave up to 20 inch or so overhang on each sides and at the foot and leave 20 inch or so extra on the head part also so that you have enough to tuck under the pillows. You can add or minus the extra overhangs as per your preference. Mattresses come in depth in the range of 4-20 inches.
Standard mattress sizes and the quilt sizes that fit them
Twin Bed (also called Single bed) – the Mattress size is usually 39 ” X 75″
Size of the Twin Quilt can be 68″ X 80″ or 65″X 88″ or 68″ X 86″ or 68″ X 90″ (the popular size); It can also be 83″ X 107″ or 85″ X 117″ with a generous overhang
Standard range of Twin Quilt is Width = 63″ – 85″ Length = 83″ – 110″
Full Bed (Also called Double bed) – the Mattress size is usually 54 ” X 75″
Size of the Quilt can be 80″ * 88″ or 86″X 90″ or 90″ X 92″ (popular size) ; It can also be 96″ * 107″ or 98″ X 117″ with a generous overhang
Standard range of Double/Full Quilt is Width = 80″ – 95″ Length = 85″ – 110″
Queen Bed – the Mattress size is usually 60 ” X 80″
Size of the Quilt can be 90″ X 96″ (popular size) or 92″ X 96″ ; It can also be a 104″ X 122″ with a generous overhang
Standard range of Queen size Quilt is Width = 90″ – 105″ Length = 95″ – 110″
King Bed – the Mattress size is usually 78 ” X 80″
Size of the Quilt can be 96″ X 104″ or 96″ X 110″ or 104″ x 96″ (Popular size); It can also be 110″ X 96″or even a 122″ X 122″ with a very generous overhang
Standard range of King size Quilt is Width = 95″ – 110″ Length = 95″ – 110″
A Lap quilt can be anything in the range 50 – 70 inches in width to 50 – 80 inches in length; 58″ square is a popular size.
A single person /Kid covering quilt – 60″ X 72″. If you just want a cozy quilt to cover yourself as you sleep this is ideal.
(Regarding mattress sizes and quilt sizes – The first number is the width and the next one is the length.)
Check out this post on Baby Quilt and blanket sizes for learning the size dimensions of quilts suitable for baby cribs and beds.
If you have seen a quilt and you want to know if the quilt will fit your bed there is a simple calculation : Take the quilt size and minus the mattress size from it – see if the extra overhang is what you want for your bed and mattress.
Related posts : Different types of quilts ; 55 different quilting blocks ; Quilting stitches.
Thanks for pointing out that the Queen-size mattress would be around 60″x80″, and the quilt should be about 90″x96″ or 92″x96″. I will keep that in mind now that I will be buying a handmade Queen-size quilt for my bedroom. It’s because I wanted to have an additional blanket since I get too cold during the winter even with the heating on. grannyshandcraftingstudio.com
I just came across your post on Pinterest, and I am looking forward to using your ideas for quilt sizing and for making dresses using your free patterns. Thanking y