Calculators

Estimate the thread for your quilting

The Quilting thread calculator estimates the top thread and bobbins for quilting your quilt, from its size and how far apart the lines of stitching are.

Where to find it

Studio top bar → Calculators → Quilting thread. Also at quiltler.com → Calculators, and in the Calculators tab of the iPhone and iPad app.

Open the thread calculator
On the Quilting thread calculator, changing the spacing between quilting lines from 2 inches to 1 doubles the thread for a 60 by 72 inch quilt to 264 yards on top and 6 bobbins

How to do it

  1. Press Calculators in the studio's top bar and choose Quilting thread. It opens on a 60 × 72″ quilt quilted 2″ apart, with the answer already in the You need card.
  2. Type your quilt's Quilt width (inches) and Quilt length (inches).
  3. Set Spacing between quilting lines (inches): smaller for dense quilting, about 2″ for an allover meander.
  4. Change Yards on a spool and Yards on a bobbin to match the thread you use.
  5. Read the card: spools for the top thread, the yards each way, and the Bobbins to wind.

Good to know

  • This is the quilting only. Piecing the top takes extra thread.
  • Buy one spool more than the card says if matching the dye lot matters to you.
Who can use it
Free, no account needed on the web
Where it works
Web studio · quiltler.com · iPhone & iPad

This guide answers

  • How much thread do I need to quilt my quilt?
  • How many bobbins will I need?
  • How many spools of thread for a big quilt?
  • Is one spool enough to quilt a throw?
  • How much thread does dense quilting use?