Lap Quilt Planning Checklist

A lap quilt sounds like the easiest project in the sewing room. It is small, it does not have to fit a mattress, and it makes a lovely gift. Then you sit down to plan it and realize you have no idea how big it should be. This checklist walks you through the decisions in the order I make them, so the fabric you buy actually matches the quilt you finish.

Start with the person, not the pattern

Before you fall in love with a block, picture who will use the quilt and where. A lap quilt is meant for seated use, so the goal is to cover the lap and legs without the hem dragging on the floor. A few questions help:

• Will it live on a couch, an armchair, a recliner or a wheelchair?
• Is the person tall, or do they like to tuck the quilt around their shoulders?
• Is it for a charity drive or a guild collection with its own size sheet?
• Will it be washed often, so a simpler, sturdier top makes more sense?

If a group will receive the quilt, always use their requested size first. Wheelchair quilts in particular are kept small so the edges stay clear of the wheels.

Common lap quilt sizes

These finished sizes cover most needs. The block layouts assume a 10 inch finished block plus an outer border.

Picking a size for the couch

For one adult reading on a sofa, 45 by 60 inches is a comfortable default that stays off the floor. If the person is over about five foot ten, or likes full body coverage while reclining, move up to 50 by 70. If two people share the couch, the 60 by 80 size works as a wrap, though at that point you are close to a twin bed quilt. When I am unsure, I check the full lap quilt size chart on Quilt Cabana, which lines up each finished size with its recipient, metric equivalent and suggested block grid, so I can pick a row and stop second guessing. If you want fewer seams, keep the finished size and drop a column of blocks rather than inventing a new overall measurement.

Fabric and backing checklist

• Lock the top size first. Every other number depends on it.
• Blocks: a 45 by 60 inch throw with twenty 10 inch blocks needs roughly 2 3/4 yards of assorted prints, or about 12 fat quarters. Plan on 12 to 16 fat quarters if you add sashing or borders.
• Sashing: 2 inch finished sashing between blocks takes about 1 1/4 yards of background fabric cut into 2.5 inch strips.
• Outer border: a 2.5 to 3.5 inch border needs about 1 yard.
• Directional prints: add around 10 percent for fussy cutting.
• Backing: add 8 inches to both the width and the length of the top, which gives a 4 inch margin on every side. A 45 by 60 top needs a back of at least 53 by 68 inches. A 50 by 60 top needs at least 58 by 68, which is about 3 1/2 yards of standard 42 inch fabric pieced with a horizontal seam.
• Prewash or not: decide before cutting and treat every fabric the same way.

Batting notes

Cut batting to the same oversized measurement as the backing, so all three layers have the same margin to work with. That margin matters whether you quilt on a domestic machine, send the quilt to a longarm, or hand tie it. For a quick charity or gift quilt with a simple top, tying with yarn is a perfectly good finish and saves hours. Choose a batting your quilting plan allows; the package usually states how far apart the stitching or ties can be.

Binding notes

Measure around the finished top to find the perimeter. A 45 by 60 inch quilt has a perimeter of 210 inches, and a 50 by 70 quilt has 240 inches. Add some extra for joining strips and mitering the corners, then divide by the usable width of your fabric to see how many strips to cut. Wheelchair quilts with rounded bottom corners need binding cut on the bias so it eases around the curves.

Before you cut

Write the finished size, block count, border width and backing size on one card and keep it by the cutting mat. For general background on quilt layers and construction, the Wikipedia article on quilts is a handy refresher. Then cut, sew, and enjoy seeing someone wrapped up in it on the couch.