What size do you make queen size quilts? The mattress top is 60″ x 80″. The sides of my mattress are about 12″. So, if I make a top that’s 84″ wide, that would just cover the edges of the mattress if the quilt is totally centered. I believe 90″ x 94″ wide is a good width.
But, what about the length? I don’t put my quilts over the pillows but I fold the top back so a portion (about 16″) of the back side is showing, then fold it back to the top edge covers the back side. Make sense? I doubt it but there’s about 8″ double folded. Then I put pillows and throw pillows on top. So, when we get in bed, we have enough covers without having to tug on them. That means that with the 80″ mattress, the 15 or so inches at the bottom and the approximately 16 extra inches at the top, the length of my quilt should be in the 111″ to 114″ range.
That length seems huge and I’m always trying to shorten it in my head. When I’m quilting for others, I rarely see quilts this big. Am I making my queen quilts longer than they have to be?
I guess the bigger question today is . . do I quilt or do I go up to the orchard and get more apples? 🙂
Vicky says
I have that big, tall mattress and the quilts need to be 100 square or very close to fit the way I like it. 90 x 100 works if I short the side away from the door. But then again, it really doesn’t matter because no one sees my bed but me. lol
dee says
Apples!
Did you happen to see the “History of Chickens” last night on PBS? We thought of you through the whole thing. It was funny and touching and hilarious at times. Stories about chickens, roosters, people who own chickens, stories about the bravery of chickens, headless chickens, people who have chickens as indoor pets and carry them in their purses like little dogs,etc… Check you stations if you missed it. We were laughing out loud and thinking of you and your chickens.
Hope you have a great day.
Judy D says
I like mine to be 90 or so wide x 100 or so. I am so technical!
My vote today is for apples and while you are there, maybe you can get some pears and peaches!!! 😉
Denise says
Judy- I make them that big if I make them for my bed they have to be around 110 inches. Pillow top mattresses are a comfy thing but with the extra “pillow top” on each side of the mattress it makes for a much thicker area to cover than the standard ole little mattress I used to have. Course I’ve now made two quilts for my bed that I thought were large enough but after all the quilting and washing the quilt, it sucked up more width than I anticipated and they hang just above the top edge of the boxspring – – very annoying indeed! Bigger is definitely better than too small – even if it means more quilt to try to manuever under my sewing machine to quilt.
Marilyn says
My vote is go to the orchard you can always quilt when it’s cold and snowing.
Sue H says
I’ve been making our queen-sized quilts approx 100 x 100. I like having them square so they can be turned any which way. And our mattress is thick aswell.
Apples! You can quilt any time.
Cindy says
I vote for apples. Did you see PW’s apple cake recipe today?
Yum. I’m trying to figure out how to make this without a cast iron skillet to bake it in because I can’t use cast iron on my stove top to start it in.
Kathy in FL says
The sizes of my queen size quilts vary from 90 x 90 to 110 x 110. I like to make my quilts square, too. So it’s all a matter of what the pattern works out to be, and I don’t worry about if it’s the “right” size. It’s too hot to pick apples here in Florida, so I’ll be quilting today!
katie z. says
My queen-size quilts always end up double-size, so I say, make it bigger to be safe! I’m always to the borders, tired of piecing, and stop. Then when I finish quilting, I kick myself that it isn’t big enough.
Evelyn says
I put my quilts on my bed sideways – so the edges overhang my extra thick mattress with an additional feather bed mattress on top of that (I have to buy special sheets). This works for me because I can’t have an overhang at the bottom due to my beautiful footboard on the bed and I don’t want to scrunch my quilt down into the footboard. I agree with you – I like to have a bit of quilt to pull up over my shoulders without tugging though. Cheers! Evelyn
Amy says
Shouldn’t your quilts quit when they are finished? (I rarely measure & “Never” add more to get it to ____ size.)
Jane Ann says
I’m glad you asked this question. My hand-pieced quilt for my own bed just keeps growing. It will probably finish around 100 x 100 and I was beginning to think I’ve lost my mind. Looks like I’m in good company.
Dena says
I make my Queen size quilts 100″ x 100″. I have a double pillow top mattress and this width provides an attractive length on each side. Since I do not pull my quilt over the pillows, the 100″ is adequate for length.
Have fun at the apple orchard!
Karen L says
I make my queen quilts about 100 by 110…..like you ….I have the nighttime tug of war with the ever loving DH. On the last quilt I did I made it wider (about 120)…..I just sewed until I ran out of the fabric…..no scraps that way. Its almost like a bedspread and I have no bedding undergarmets showing!!!!
Karen
Sandra (Sandy Gail) says
I have a big kingsize bed in the guest room. It is also one of those thick pillow top mattress beds. I like for my quilts to be used as bed spreads over a dust ruffle so you can imagine how huge some of my quilts are. The ones for the king size bed are so big that I can’t hand quilt them on a frame and a long arm quilter would likely not be able to quilt them either. So I make them in two pieces and quilt them on my domestic sewing machine and then join the two halves together like the Georgia Bonesteel quilt as you go quilts. I can’t tell you the dimensions- I just make them until they suit me when placed on the bed. I don’t seem to have much trouble getting them to go through the sewing machine.
Jeanne C. says
In response to comment number 15 by Sandy Gail, I quilt on a Gammill Optimum Plus with a 14 foot table and I can quilt a width up to 138-140 inches. The length could be even longer than that. I’ve never quilted a quilt that wide, but I could. The largest I’ve quilted is 120×120 for myself, and one about 120×130 for someone else. Easy as pie, just takes a little longer. It is a little harder to handle when it comes to binding, but I have supporting surfaces to the left of and behind my DM, so even that is not so bad. I do bindings entirely by machine. If you have large quilts that are hard for you to do on your domestic machines, by all means find a longarmer in your area who has a 12-14 foot table for their machine and let them help you get it done. — Judy your quilts are beautiful! I enjoy reading your blog, all aspects of it. I have, and love, your first book and am eagerly awaiting the release of your second book.
JudyL says
I have a 12′ table and I’ve quilted a 120″ x 120″ for a friend. That was definitely as wide as I can do on my machine.
Norma says
I like my queen size quilts to be at least 100 x 100. I made one 84 x 100 for my sister and it was too short on the sides. My quilter friend says I don’t make anything small! But I like to have plenty of tug room for my husband and me. I don’t make many king size quilts – my boxer sleeps between hubby and me and takes up all the tug room. So hubby and I usually have our own twin quilts to cover up with. Works for us because I don’t need as much cover as he does. I keep an old summer weight quilt on the bed for the dog to lay on.
Kathyinozarks says
I enjoyed reading the comments here, I always go bigger as well
AnnieO says
I just made a very large quilt for my son, who has a queen sized bed and a deep mattress. It was about 90 x 100 and fit perfectly, meeting the bedframe on both sides and not too short lengthwise. I’d call it a King sized quilt but that’s what fits a queen sized mattress these days! On our Cal King bed I have a store bought solid colored quilt that is called King sized, and we both wish it were about 10 inches bigger all around. It is not quite square and we are constantly turning it so it is wider than longer so it will cover the sides of the mattress.
Eileen Keane says
We have a king sized waterbed converted to a sleep number bed. Apparently, that makes it a California king. I have to make my quilts at least 100×100 for DH Mike to be able to snuggle under when I run the fan in the winter.
Kay Bergquist says
We design our queen size quilts to be 100×100 or even a little longer (but not wider) depending on blocks used in the quilt. It is certainly a generous size, and many people use them as king size quilts. With all the extra thick mattresses these days, it seems like the width is necessary just to cover everything
Mary says
I make my queen size quilts square but my king size quilts are wider than they are long — we have a foot board and I don’t use a pillow tuck on them.
For queen size mine range from 96×96 to 101×101 which was almost what I’d consider bedspread size.
Tammy from quilt-pictures.com says
I just finished my first queen size quilt. I wanted it to be almost to the floor on the sides and bottom. I don’t fold it over the pillows, so the top stops just underneath them. I took a lap size quilt pattern that just fit the top of the mattress and added almost 20″ to the sides and bottom with multiple borders. So it turned out about 100″ square. You can see it at the bottom of http://www.quilt-pictures.com/animal-quilt.html and it’s called Cat Twirls.
I’m a bit of a covers hog and my husband asked for enough quilt left to cover him after I’m done stealing part of his side!