Total patches needed to fill a quilt top.
Rounds up so the top is fully covered.
The number of patches in a quilt top is the number that fit across the width multiplied by the number that fit down the height. A 60 by 80 inch top made of 4 inch finished patches has 15 across and 20 down, for 300 patches. Enter the quilt size and the finished patch size to see the total.
Remember that each patch is cut larger than its finished size to allow for the seams. With a quarter inch seam on every side, a 4 inch finished patch is cut at 4.5 inches. Using the cut size when you plan the fabric avoids falling short.
Knowing the total helps you plan the fabric, since you can divide the patches among the colors and work out how many fit in each strip. It also gives a sense of how long a project will take, since the number of seams grows quickly with small patches.
Accurate cutting and a consistent seam allowance matter more when there are many patches, because small errors add up across a row. Chain piecing, where you feed patches through the machine without cutting the thread, saves time and thread.